A World Full of Hate
by Courissez Pour Vos Reves
Summary: When Kala reaches the age of thirteen questions start to boil up in her head. Will they ever be answered? Rated T because I don't know what I will do with it yet!
1. Chapter 1: The Real Questions

**Hey! This is my first fanfic! Hope you all like it and I know this is a bunch of overused topics and blah blah blah. I don't care, I just want to have fun! Oh, I am not Suzanne Collins, so I don't own the Hunger Games and I don't think she even has a FanFiction. But if you do, I want you to PM me right now!**

I lounge on the floor of my livingroom, reading a book. My younger brother is across from me playing with his toy cars Mother got him for his ninth birthday. I try to concentrate on the book about a little girl who lived in a box. It just doesn't happen for me to concentrate easily with Apoy making smashing sounds every five seconds, but I don't blame him. He's only nine. As I place my book down onto the floor, Mother drags Father into the house and pushes him up against the wall. She only does this when he is having one of his what I call "Shiny Dreams."

"Let go of me you Mutt!" Father yells, "I want to kill you! I want to kill you with my bare hands!"

"Kids go upstairs." Mother orders. Apoy walks upstairs frightened. I am frightened myself, but Mother always sends us upstairs when Father has one of his "Shiny Dreams." I wanted to see what happens.

"Peeta, I love you more than anything. Real or Not Real?" Mother asks. I don't understand why Mother and Father play this game all the time.

"Not Real! You hate me, you've been planning my death since I first laid my eyes on you!" Father shouts. I gasp, how could Father not love Mother? Mother heard my gasp and looked at me, still pinning Father against the wall.

"Go up stairs Kalayaan!" Mother orders. I hate when she uses my real name. I like to be called Kala! I tread upstairs, not wanting to be yelled at anymore. I trudge to my room and shut my door. My room was pink, like sunrise. Father likes orange, like sunset. I walk over to my bed and fall onto it. Why do my parents hide everything from me? It's not like I am five. I am thirteen. They should tell me some things. It isn't a huge secret that they were part of The Rebellion. I don't know what, but I know they were a part of it. They probably didn't have much to do with it, right? I mean if they did someone should have told me by now right? Mother interupts my thoughts, "You guys may come down now if you'd like." I walk downstairs and next to Father who was sitting on the couch now, smiling.

"Father?" I ask in my sweetest voice possible.

"Yes, dandelion?" He smiles.

"Why do you go crazy sometimes?" I try keeping up the innocent act. Father looks at Mother, she shakes her head left to right.

"Um," He replies, "you'll find out when your older."

"When will I be old enough?" I ask breaking the innocent act, "I am thirteen and when ever I ask questions like: Why does Mother flinch when I tap her on the back? Or why does Father have a fake leg? Or why does Mother wake us up every single night screaming? You guys just say, 'When you are older.' Well I am older and I want answers!"

A tear rolls down Mother's cheek. She never cries. Father sits there stumbling over his words, but he always knows what to say, right? Father manages to gather all his thoughts and say, "We planned on tell you on your fourteenth birthday. You'll just have to wait until then."

"I just turned thirteen last month!" I argue. Mother just nods, rivers streaming down her cheeks.

"We know you want answers, but it isn't you that is not ready. It's us. We just aren't ready to relive it."Father explains. Mother continues to nod; she has stopped crying now, to my liking.

"I don't understand." I say confused.

"You will, when we believe we are ready to tell you." Surpisingily, Mother said this but in a hoarse voice. I can tell this just brings back bad memories, but why? I thought the Rebels won. Why would they be so sad?

"We got mail!" Apoy interrupts slamming the door behind him holding out a stack of envelopes begging to be opened.

Mother wanders over like nothng happened five seconds ago."Bill, bill, bill, inventation, bill, bill, wait!" She stops flipping through the mail and goes back a few cards. She rips the envelope open and reads the dark blue paper with stars on the inside.

"Read it out loud!" Apoy begs. Mother shakes her head left to right. I am done with these secrets! I take the card out of mother's hands.

"Dear Mellarks, It is by my finest gratitude to welcome you to the lovely establishment of my house. We would love it if you joined us for a small get together for all of us friends. We know you decline our inventation year after year, but this year we hope you still come. And don't worry! We still are inviting the kids like we did for the past thirteen years! Please come! Love, Annie. This sounds like fun! Can we go Mother?" I look up at her, her cheeks are red and her eyes are wide.

Mother opens her mouth, "No, I don't-"

"Why not, it sounds like lots of fun!" I start, "Plus, I never met this Annie person before."

"No, Kala, I don't think I can face them again."

"Why not? They sound nice! Please?"

"No, I-"

"-What? You have been hiding these cards since I was born! I could have met these people years ago, but no! My mother is to much of a party-pooper to let her children have any fun!"

"What about school? This get together is three weeks long! I can't let you miss school!"

"I'll get my homework done early then!"

"Fine, I'll make you a deal. If you can get three weeks of homework done by Friday, then we will go."

"Okay!" It may be hard work, but if I do it maybe at this party with a bunch of Father and Mother's old friends, I could find out what happened to my parents when they were younger.

**So how did you like it? Should I go on? PM me for advice or leave me a review! Oh and by the way, Kalayaan means Dandelion and Apoy means fire. I know not original but hey, it gives me names to get through the story!**


	2. Chapter 2: Let's Get Packing, Mother!

**Hey guys, because I got so many reviews I am going to continue! I still am, and will never be Suzanne Collins, so don't sue!**

I am filled with giddy. It is after school Friday, and I have the signed papers from my teachers saying I did all of my homework for this week and the next three weeks. I grab my brother Apoy, who has the same note. We race the half a mile home. I always let him in the front so I can keep a good eye on him. When we get home it is only about one ten. We get out of school at one, then I pick Apoy up at his elementary school, then we race for home. This is our usual time home. Mother won't be home until three, and Father usually doesn't come home until six. We eat dinner at seven. "Are you excited?" I ask Apoy. All we could talk about for the past week was our trip to District Four.

"Yeah!" He says in excitement. He is bouncing up and down on his toes.

"Then let's go upstairs and pack!" I say with glee. Apoy and I rush up mahogany stairs. He runs into his room and I run into mine. I reach under my bed and grab my big suitcase. I pull it out and plop it on my bed. It was a light subtle pink with a dandelion painted on the front by father. I open the top and put in four weeks of clothes in. You never know when you will need extra clothes. I put in all of my bathing suits: my light green full piece with green horizontal stripes, my white one with assorted colored circles randomly placed around it, my black two piece with assorted paint color splatters randomly around it and my blue and white horizontally striped full piece. Mother taught us how to swim in a lake in the fenced off woods. She also said we would need our swim gear when we go to District Four.

I have always wondered what other districts looked like. Our district is pretty much one city with random suburbs scattered around us. We live in a nice big house on what is called Victor's Village. It is really weird that only Mother, Father, and Haymitch have houses here. Father gave is up to live with Mother. I like living here, but my friends live far away and the bakery is a pretty long walk from here.

Next, I add in some underwear and pajamas. I go over to my vanity and grab my hair brush, bandanas, and hair ties, and shove them into the front of my bag. I grab my security blanket Granny Everdeen sent me when I was born. It is thirteen years old, rugged, and torn, but I love it too much to go anywhere without it. I neatly fold it and put it on top of all of my clothing. I grab my cellphone that I begged for my thirteenth birthday. Mother probably regretted getting me it, but it was all I wanted. I put it in the compartment my hair brush was in. I then grab my school Laptop and place it delicately on top of my blanket, then zip my suitcase up. I then rush to the bathroom and make sure I pack my tooth paste and tooth brush. I look at my watch and it is three thirty; Mother is home and I didn't even notice her for a half an hour. That is just scary.

I creep down the stairs silently; I am as stealthy as Mother. I walk down into the living room. Mother is sipping some hot chocolate. "Did you get your homework all done, Kala?" She asks.

"Yes!" I pretty much yell, running into the dining room and scooping Apoy's and my notes off the table giving them to Mother. She reads over them slowly. A her mouth turns from a smile to a frown.

"Alright go pack." She says glumly.

"Already did!" I remark proudly.

"What about Apoy?" She asks.

"I don't know. He was packing the last I saw him." I reply. Just then Apoy comes bounding down the stairs with his suitcase bumping on the steps behind him.

"I'm done!" He yells.

"Alright, tonight at nine we will get on the train." Mother says as she looks at her watch.

"Okay!" Apoy and I say in unison.

"I'm going to go get some tickets. I'll be in your father's office." She says and walks into father's office. She always dreads going in there. You can tell by her face, her closing of her eyes, and her deep breath before walking in. It is strange really strange.

Apoy and I run into the dining room and sit in the seats across from each other. We are excited. I stand up and walk over to the shelf in the orange walled, green shag carpeted den. It was Mother and Father's favorite room. Above the shelf is a framed picture of a dandelion, Father had painted. In the lower left corner of the picture there was a sticky note with a yellow blob and a green stick under it. Mother said she had tried to copy the painting and put it there to remember how beautiful her pictures were too. I grab the box on the shelf and take it back to the table. It was our favorite board game called _Sorry!_ We play it all the time, it is a very old, ancient game. Father had got it from a website that sold old artifacts. It is very fun to play.

After a few hours of playing, Mother joined us later on, Father comes home. He always slams doors. He is very noisey. He walks into the dining room and kisses me and Apoy on our foreheads, and Mother on the lips. "Were going, Peeta. These two have worked really hard." Mother said.

"They have. They both stayed up later than me at night to do their work." Father smiled, walking over to the stove. He always cooks us dinner.

"I already got our bags packed," Mother says, "We are leaving at nine tonight, so we can make it there a day early at eight in the morning."

"Alrighty, let me get dinner done then." He says gleefully. Father seems happier about the idea then Mother. Mother is really weird.

The rest of the evening went like this: Talk about day, eat dinner, clean up after dinner, go get suitcases, walk to train station, and get on train. We are now on the train and Father has already retired to bed. Mother is sitting on a train couch thing. Apoy is about to go to sleep in our shared train room. We all share pretty much one room with two double beds, me and Mother in one bed, and Apoy and Father in the other one. Knowing Mother, I am not looking forward to tonight. I go to bed before Mother hoping to get atleast an hour worth of sleep. I wasn't awaken until we got to the next station. I run to the window and look out. "District Four." Is all I can manage to say in awe.

**So that was the chapter! Did you like it? Did you hate it? I won't know unless you Private Message me or if you give me a review! So please review! I love hearing your thoughts!**


	3. Chapter 3: Mother is Famous?

**Hey guys! Thanks for the ****AWESOME**** feedback! It will help me with this chapter. I hope my chapters aren't too short. Tell me if they are. I'll TRY to make this one longer! By the way I am not Ms./Mrs. Collins!**

Father grabs his and Mother's bags. Apoy grabs his and I reluctantly walk away from the window to grab mine. I walk out onto the station grounds happily. Father and Apoy seem generally happy walking along the sidewalk. Mother puts on her jacket even though it is about ninety degrees outside. She pulls her hood over her head and looks pretty much glumly. I walk alongside her silently, following Father dragging an over excited Apoy with him. The wind blows hard, knocking Mother's hood back. It seems we are frozen in time when everyone within a good seeing view of us looks our way. Mother blushes and pulls her hood back up on her head. "Everyone must be staring at you because you're wearing a jacket, Mother." I say acknowledging her uncomfortableness.

"It's much more than that." Mother says spitefully. Her eyes deem into another world it seems, a world of pure evil determination. Her eye brows knit together in frustration. Her hands ball up into fists and clench until her knuckles are ghost white. Her teeth grit together and her breathing becomes louder and deeper, almost like hyperventilating. Wait, it was. Mother was hyperventilating through her stern look and clenched teeth. Soon she calms down and looks at my frightened face. She stops, but Father and Apoy don't notice, so they keep on walking. Mother kneels down looking me in the eyes. I am short for my age, only four foot six. She places her hands onto my shoulders. "Don't you ever let anyone change you. Don't let anyone make it uncomfortable to walk out in public. Don't let anyone tell you what you should do, except me or you father. Don't let anyone make it so you have to hide your face." I stay silent. Her eyes look all over my face for an emotion. "Promise?" She asks.

"I promise." I whisper. Mother hugs me tight. She soon releases her tight grip and stands up. Father and Apoy aren't anywhere in sight. I look up at Mother, who is biting her lip. "You do know where we are going, right?" I ask.

"Um, yeah, its uh, this way." She grabs my hand and pulls us forward, her dark green jacked rubs against my wrist. We walk for a minute before she tugs us into another direction. "Actually, I think it's this way." We walk along that way a little more. My mother seems to finally give into that we are lost and that Father has the map. She has no other choice but to yell as loud as possible, "Peeta!" That seemed to catch a lot of people's attention. Soon everyone in the area we were in is staring right at us. Father was nowhere in sight. Mother takes off her hood to get a better view. This one small awkward man chuckled.

"Is the mockingjay lost?" He snickered. Who is the mockingjay that he is talking about? My mother couldn't be. No one should know her, she shouldn't have been here for a while, if ever. This one word though gets Mother angrier than any anger I have ever knew, though. She storms up the man, her grasp on me tightens. She picks up the man by the color of his white t-shirt. He looks old, with his short grey hair. Mother glares at him right in the eyes. "Don't kill me." He pleads. This frightens me, but Mother would never kill anyone. Would she? I think not.

"Where is Victors' Village?" Mother sneers.

"That way." The man points a trembling finger. With that Mother drops the man, leaving him helpless on the ground. We set off in that direction. Mother didn't even put her hood back up as she trudged through the streets, grasping onto my wrist and pushing people who gathered out of our way. We finally found Father and Apoy. They were looking for us, yelling my name, but not Mother's. When they see us their faces light up and Mother lets go of me. We start traveling towards this Annie person's house, dragging our suit cases behind. Mother just putting her hood back up and crossing her arms, was keeping up fine. You could never hear her footsteps, which was really creepy. We finally arrived at Annie's house. It was bigger than mine and mine was really big compared to all my friends'. Father and Apoy walked in happily. Mother stared inside while in the doorway. I couldn't see because she was in my way.

"Peeta, I need a minute. I'll come in, in a little bit." She says. She walks over to the bench swing and sits down. I follow and sit next to her.

"Mother? Why won't you go in?" I ask her quietly.

"It has been so long and we all have been through so much. I don't know if I can face them again." She says. She sounds like she is my age the way she said it.

"Well, it will be weird for me too. I don't know any of these people. So people might stare at me when I walk in too." I say. My mom looks at me. Her grey eyes always comfort me when I feel upset. I wonder if my blue eyes are comforting her now. "How about we go in together?" I ask her.

Just then we hear laughing arousing from inside the home. "Peeta." Mother whispers and a smile grows across her face. We sit in silence for a while until Mother finally answers my question. "Okay, let's go." Mother stands up and so do I. She looks down at me and grabs my hand. We walk into the house. Everyone looks up at us.

This lady with indigo curly hair and pale purple skin was the first to speak, "It is nice to see you, Katniss."

Mother smiled and said, "Nice to see you too, Effie." Then everyone said their hello's and greetings. I have met Annie, Gale and his wife, Johanna, Rory and his wife, Effie and her husband, Vick and his wife, and lastly, Posy and her husband. That is not to mention Haymitch, whom I have known my entire life was here. He and Aunt Sae were both here. They took the train last week, so they have been here the whole week.

"The kids are in the other room, Kala." Father said, pointing into what I think was the den. I walk into the den and seven faces look my way. one of them being Apoy. They all greet me, say their names and tell me who their parents are. First the girl on the left's name was Patricia, she was fourteen, had dyed her hair pink, and her mother was Effie. The boy by the window's name was Hunter, he was thirteen with curly dark hair, his skin was the same as mine, his eyes were the same color as my mother's comforting eyes, and his father, can you guess, was Gale. The twelve-year-old girl next to him was Hannia, she had dark straight hair, shining hazel eyes, light skin, and her Father was also Gale. Then there was this boy with light brown hair and dark green eyes, his name was Jack, his skin was tan, he was fifteen years of age, and he was the adopted son of Johanna. There was this little girl in the center of the room by the name of Trixie, she looked to be about eight and her hair light blonde hair was in pigtails, her grey eyes gleamed innocence, her parent was Rory. Then there was a boy sitting in a chair, he was fifteen years old, and his hair was dark like Annie's, his eyes were sea green, his name was Finn. We sat around awkwardly, except Apoy and Trixie were already playing some obscure game with each other.

Finn stood up first and said, "Why don't I show you all your rooms?" He leads us up the stairs in the living room where the adults were. I meet Mother's stressed out grey Seam eyes as she gets asked a billon questions. I quickly look away and focus on getting my suitcase up the stairs, without bumping it too much. I mean, my laptop is in it. When we get to the top, Finn leads us down a long hallway which seems to have a million rooms adjacent to it. We finally stop at a door with a note taped to it. The note had ribbons flowing down on the side. It said, "Girls' Room." We girls open the room to see a room with four beds in it. I claim the bed closest to the window. Patricia gets the bed next to me. I put my suitcase on the bed and walk out into the hallway. Finn was showing the boys' the room across from ours. The room to our left was marked "Mellarks' ?" The question mark was probably meant to show we were most likely not to be coming, but they still marked a door for us how sweet. To the right of our room said "Masons'." These rooms were for our parents.

"Let's go to the game room already! Newbie looks bored." Patricia whined. It took me a moment to relies by newbie, she meant me. Then it all clicked, they have all known each other for years, while I just met all of them. I follow everyone to the game room. When they opened the door I almost fainted.

**So that was the chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! PLEASE SEND ME A REVIEW! Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4: A Dare, A Bully, and A Kiss

**I realized that I could get more readers if I post in the day time instead of night, so here I will try to get this done quickly. I am not Suzanne Collins.**

I walk onto the purple laminate flooring, and look around. The door I came through was in the center of the wall, to the right of the door, if you are facing it, is a huge table full of slushie machines, snow cone machines, chips, sodas, candy, soft pretzels, and much more. To the left of the door was flat screen television that took up the rest of that side of the wall. There were six bean bags in a semicircle around a small, foot high circular coffee table. The bean bags were facing the television. If you were to just be coming in the door, by the wall across the room were many arcade games lined up and in the center of the room were three game tables: air hockey, foosball, and table tennis, also known as ping-pong. There was also two doors on the left wall marked "Simulation Gaming" and "Laser Tag." On the ceiling there was a disco ball and many different lights. To the right wall was a small clearing, where there was nothing around it for about a good twelve feet. It was the dance floor, I suppose. I wondered over to one of the beanbag chairs and plop down. Soon everyone else follows. Apoy and Trixie were downstairs still, playing that obscure game. "So, how do you like it newbie?" Hunter asks.

"It is awesome!" I almost yell, but I manage to keep my excitement inside.

"Let's show newbie a good game of Truth or Dare!" Patricia exclaims, glaring at me.

"Alright let's," Finn starts, "Hmmm, Pat! Truth or Dare?"

"Uh, Truth!" She says almost immediately.

"Okay, Is it true that your mom will get you anything you ask for?"

"Duh! That is a stupid question," She remarks, fluffing her hair, "Alright, newbie, Truth or Dare?"

I weigh my choices carefully and decide on dare. I have too many secrets that they could ask of. "Dare." I state. I already regret doing so.

"Oooh, Newbie picked Dare!" Patricia taunts. It takes her a minute to think of one, but then she finally comes up with one. "I triple dog dare you to go down to your mother and whisper to her, 'May the odds be ever in your favor.' Then run back up here."

"That's it?" I ask relieved. This will be super easy and embarrassment free! I loved it.

"That is it." She says. That is when we all start to tiptoe down the hall. I peek down the stairs to see Mother smiling and nodding. They stopped asking her questions, and she is sitting comfortably on the couch next to Father. The teens are looking at me from the top of the steps as I walk down. No one seems to notice me walking across the room up to Mother. I kneel on the arm rest of the couch and touch my lips to Mother's ear.

"May the odds be ever in your favor." I whisper quietly and back away. Her face turned pale and her lips pursed into a frown. I take this time to book it up the stairs and run into the closest bathroom and lock the door. I can here snickers from the other teens. I think they headed back to the game room. It only takes seconds before I hear pounding on the door.

"Kalayaan Primrose Mellark! Get out here!" Mother yelled from the other side of the door. I was all tucked up in the corer behind the toilet. I stay silent and don't budge a bit. "**NOW!**" Mother's voice made the whole house vibrate. After about five minutes of pounding on the door the whole house goes quiet. Then I hear Mother's voice again, but slightly quieter, "Good luck, Peeta. I couldn't get her out."

Next I hear Father's soft voice, "Kala, can you please come out? We need to talk to you." I make my way up to the door.

"If I come out will Mother promise not to yell?" I ask in a fearful voice. Mother is the one that does all the yelling if I do something wrong. I hear quiet voices on the other side of the door.

"I promise not to yell." Mother says. I open the door to two sets of eyes staring down at me. "Come." Mother commands as she points their room. We walk in and I see one big bed in the center with a door for the bathroom and a window, but that was about it. I sat in the center of the bed, Mother whispers, "We'll ask her how she knows about it, but we won't tell her anything more," to Father. I don't think she heard me but Father just nods his head. Mother sits on the right of me and Father sits on the left. "Where did you hear that from?" Mother asks, surprisingly not angry.

"It was a dare. Patricia dared me to whisper that in your ear." I admit, looking down at my knees.

"That was all?" Mother blushes. She looks down at her knees too.

"Yeah." Is all I can say.

"Okay." Mother says. We are not the people for words. That is Father and Apoy who can talk and talk and talk and talk, on and on and on, forever, it seems. Although Father has been quiet this whole time, probably because he figured this argument was between us, not him. "You can go play now." Mother says. I rush right to the door with a smile on my face because I didn't get yelled at. I run right to the game room and open the door. Everyone looks right at me and laughs, except Hunter. He is in the corner just looking at me.

"Haha. Newbie got in trouble." Patricia teases. This gets everyone to laugh at me, except Hunter. "Did your Mommy and Daddy let it go this time?" My cheeks feel hotter than the sun at this moment. I look down at my feet. "Hey Finn, let's go to the beach. I want to get a tan!"

"We got to get our bathing suits on first though." He says already halfway down the hall. I rush to my room and open my suitcase. I grab my blue and white bathing suit and rush to the bathroom and put it on before Patricia could even step into the room. I walk out and sit on my bed while she and Hannia look through their suitcases. When Patricia leaves to go to the bathroom, Hannia sits next to me on my bed.

"You okay?" She asks.

"Why is she so mean?" I ask her looking into her eyes.

"She has always been that way. She loves to get at the new people, but don't worry. In about a week she will get used to you."

"You sure?"

"Positive." She says. It makes my face light up, but then Patricia comes out of the bathroom in a black string bikini, pink flipflops, and hot-pink sun glasses.

"Hurry up. I want to get into the sun now." She snaps at Hannia. Hannia just rushes into the bathroom and is out in a flash. She is wearing a yellow full piece with orange stars randomly around it. We walk out the door with towels and go bounding down the stairs to meet the boys who were all wearing swim trunks of different colors. We go out the back door and walk down to the beach. The sand is snow white and the sun glistens off every wave the blue ocean produces. The boy set up a blanket and a towel that they brought from the house to form as a base for us to meet after swimming. We set our towels down and run to the water, but Patricia stays behind, thank Panem, so she can work on her tan.

We wade around in the warm salty water. Hunter splashes me and I grin and splash him back. We are all soon in a full out water war. It was every man for himself. After about ten minutes of splashing each other we walk back to our towels. I didn't pay attention and tripped over Patricia. "What the heck? You got me all wet! You are childish, playing in the water. You could be getting a tan, see?" She points at her now darker skin. "You are such a klutz! Why were you even born? I bet you were an accident. Your parents probably don't even love you." This makes tears spill out of my eyes. I was born because my parents love me. Or at least I thought they loved me. I mean they hide everything from me and they just got mad at me for a stupid dare. A stupid dare! They got mad at me because I did a dare. They do hate me. More tears spill down my face. I could feel rapids flushing down my cheeks.

"Stop it!" Hunter yells, putting his body between mine and hers. "Do you think it is funny to hurt someone's feelings? Because I think it is sick."

"I was just stating the truth." Patricia sneers back.

"Well stop it! No one likes hearing your voice blabbering anyways."

"Shut up."

"Just stating the truth."

Patricia was just about to open her big fat ugly mouth when we hear Annie call all the way from the house, "Dinner, children!" This makes us all race to the house. We were starving. We walked into the dining room through the back door. We looked at the mouthwatering ham and patatoes, and started to walk towards it when Annie stops us and says, "Go upstairs and change before you sit at the dining table." Patricia groans as we walk upstairs. I decide to grab my black with rainbow polka-dot pajamas and change in the bathroom I hid in earlier. I was the last to be done changing when I headed downstairs. I sat in the only empty seat at the table, which was between Mother and Hunter, across from Haymitch. I start to eat my supper; the ham was tasty, with the spices just right. The potatoes were rich and felt velvety against my tongue. When I finished, I was stuffed and just about to excuses myself from the table when a huge cheese cake was placed right before us. It had blueberry sauce drizzled all over it. It even had actual blueberries on it randomly. That was when Mother excused herself from the table. She can't stand blueberries, even the sight of them scares her. Once my friend gave me some and I was walking home with them, eating them from the pouch. Mother was in the front yard, when she spotted the berry in my hand. She sprinted at me and confiscated the berry. She tore it in half, studying the juices inside. That was when she sighed and told me I could go on eating them. That moment was really awkward and weird, but then again Mother is really weird.

After we finish, I walk upstairs. Hunter is ahead of me. I owe him. The others were already in their rooms because they ate their cake in under a minute. I grab his arm right before he turns down the hall. "Thank you." I say.

"For what?" He asks.

"For standing up for me, I really appreciated it."

"It's not a big deal."

"Yes it is. I was in tears."

"It wasn't because I think you are really nice."

"Thanks." My cheeks start to heat up and he smirks at me.

"Its really is nothing. I hate that snob."

"She really is mean."

"She always has been. She is just a mean type of person that we all have to deal with."

"Oh."

"Well it is getting late. I should head off to bed."

"Me too." I gingerly start to walk back to bed, when I get a pull by my arm.

"It really was no problem." With that he kisses my forehead. I am sure my cheeks are crimson red. "See you in the morning."

I then walk right into the girls' room and take my suitcase off the bed and lay down. Smiling at the white smooth ceiling is the last thing I remember before my eyes flutter shut.

**Hope you all liked it! PLEASE REVIEW! :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Mother Killed a Person?

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews. I WANT MORE! I have over three hundred hits and only about eleven reviews…. Are you guys asleep! I love reviews even if they are constructive criticism. Please send me a review! I know you wanna! By the way I am not Suzanne Collins and I don't own anything.**

I wake up that night to a high pitched scream coming from next door. No need to guess that it woke up the whole house. God Mother, Can you, just once, spare me the humiliation? I should have known she would do this, but I forgot. Now I look over at the other beds and Patricia is snickering at me. I was told by Mother that when I hear the screaming I should go back to sleep, but this time everyone in the room is now awake staring at me to do something. It sounds that Father isn't calming her down like usual. Suddenly, the boys come into the room. "Aren't ya gonna do something?" asks Jack staring bullets through my skull.

"I never have had to do anything before." I say.

"Well when my mom breaks down, I always go to her side." Finn says in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Kala, Mother is scaring me." Little Apoy has a tear that fell down his cheek. Mother now is screaming louder and we can hear Father trying to shush her. I look down at my watch, two thirty-seven. Mother is one of the weirdest people I know. To scream in the night, ugh, I mean it is okay when you are three or four years of age, but in your darn forties? No.

"I'll go see if I can help her, I guess." I groggily get out of the covers and place my bare feet on the floor. I can see Patricia stifle a laugh. I walk towards the door.

Before I get their Hunter bumps into me and whispers, "Need any help?"

"No," I whisper, "Mother doesn't want a crowd, I bet."

"Okay, see you on the other side." He smiles and I head out the door. I tiptoe down the hall, just incase anyone can stay asleep even though my mother is screaming her head off. I reluctantly open my parents' door. No wonder Mother is screaming. Father isn't in the room, but I do see a sliver of light coming from under the bathroom door. I jump up on the bed and hug Mother. She seems to come back to Earth instantly. She hugs me tight and cries on my shoulder. What the heck happened? Mother is CRYING on MY shoulder. This is only the second time I have ever seen Mother cry in my whole life time. She clings onto me tight and looks over at the bathroom door. Her lip quivers.

"Peeta? Are you okay in there?" Mother asks quietly, almost in a whisper. With no response she walks up to the door and tries to turn the locked knob. "Peeta!" She yells, now frantically shaking the door knob. Mother then dashes over to the vanity and grabs a bobby pin. She lunges towards the door and jimmies the lock. When she flies the door open, I see Father tense up over the bathroom sink, eyes tightly closed, teeth clenched together, muscles tight and flexed. Father looked like a beast. I was frightened, I tried to stand up on my feeble legs. Mother was now behind him, with her arms around his waist; she was whispering something into his ear. I still was scared as I ran out the door and slammed it shut, vibrating the whole house. I flinch when I get tapped on the shoulder from behind. I turn to see Finn, he hugs me and says that it will be okay and that his mother does things like this too. I could see the worried expression on his face. He probably seen the one on mine. I take a deep breath and walk back to my room. All the boys were gone and Patricia was very annoying, her once stifled laughter was going all out now.

"Did Mommy and Daddy scare you? Did they make you cry?" She says in a mock sympathetic voice. I shoot her a glare, I was livid.

"Why don't you shut up? Your mother isn't the sharpest crayon in the box!" I yell.

"My mom is smart enough to know not to fake a pregnancy just to get gifts!"

I was very confused, but I couldn't let it show, "At least my mother doesn't dye her hair!"

"At least my mom isn't a murder."

I was hit by a freight train; she must think hunting animals is murder, ha! "Hun, It isn't murder if you kill animals!"

"Yeah, I know. Do you know how many people **died **because of your mom? A lot."

Tears quickly drop out of my eyes. My mother wouldn't kill anyone. She just smirks. There are only two people who I trust to tell me the truth about my mother, and those two people are freaking in a mental breakdown in the room next door. I need to ask them if this is true, but I don't think I could ask them at this hour. I run out the door to the room across the hall. Finn and Hunter both wake up when I slam the door. I run into the darkest corner in their room and weep. Soon, both of them are hugging me trying to make the tears cease from falling, but the last tear falls when my world turns dark.

I wake up on a bed in the boys' room. They must have put me their when I passed out. I was the only one in here so I stand up, stretch and walk into the hall. I open the door to the girls' room, luck to see no one was in their I walk to my suit case and put on a dark green t-shirt, brown shorts, and my black tennis shoes with white socks. I walk to the mirror and take out my now tangled braid. I brush my hair so it is smooth and straight. I put back in the braid, mother used to braid my hair into two braided pigtails, but I like it better the way she wears it, down your back and out of your face. I walk downstairs quietly and notice all the teens sitting on the couch in the living room. The adults were in the den. I sit in between Hunter and Finn. Everyone got quiet when I came down. And of course Patricia was the first to speak, "Heard you slept in the boys' room. Was it fun getting knocked up?"

I glare at her. Why would she even think that. I was only thirteen, god. "Shut up." I snarl. I notice a few adults leave the room and head to the kitchen, one of them being Father. I peek into the room to notice only Joanna, Mother, Effie, and Gale's wife were the only ones left in their. Mother, like usual, only kept to herself. Only speaks when spoken to.

I sigh as I listen to the rest of the teens talk about random subjects. I act like mother, only speak when spoken to. This goes on for an hour before Annie yells, "Breakfast!" Everyone, except me, rush to the dining room. I notice Mother still sitting by herself in the den. I still have a question to ask her. I walk quietly into the den.

"Mother?" I ask.

"Yes?" She answers, smiling.

"I have a question…."

"What is it, Kala?"

"Did you ever, er, um, did you ever, uh…"

"Just say it, I won't be mad."

"Have you ever killed a person?"

**Sorry for it's shortness and sorry that it is cliffy. I want reviews! Click that blue button down their! PLEASE! Thank you for reading! :)**


	6. Chapter 6: Help!

**Hey everyone! Warning: This chapter is intense and is strictly for more mature readers! Also, Thanks for all of you who reviewed! I am hoping to make this one a little longer (hopefully not promising anything!) Anyways please Review! It means the world to me! ;D**

Mother slumps down into the couch. She opens her mouth then closes it. She refuses to look into my eyes; her now glum grey eyes look about the room. She opens her mouth again and then Annie runs into the room. Her brown hair is up in a messy bun. She looks a little impatient, staring at me then to Mother. She says with an edgy ping in the tone, "Hurry! We can't take forever. It is Sunday and we have to be at church by ten!"

"What is church?" I ask, indifferent if we go to this church place or not. I have never had to go to church before, but to Annie it seems it would be the end of the world if we didn't go.

Mother lets out a relieving sigh and turns to me, "Church is this place people go to learn about God."

"How come we don't go to church?" I ask.

"Because, District 12 doesn't have a church. I mean it used to, but it doesn't now." Mother responds. She has a remorseful look. As if remembering what our district used to have makes her depressed. Mother is weird, really, really weird.

"Okay, so let's get breakfast so we don't run late!" Annie intervenes with a smiley passion. We follow her glorious triumph to the long dinner table. I slump down into the seat between Patricia and Hannia. Then Father comes out with the plates full of eggs, bacon, toast, and cheese buns. Cheese Buns? They were my favorite snack of all time! I start piling food into my mouth, as if I were to never eat again. Effie and Patricia give me an evil glare.

"Ugh, District 12 has no manners!" Patricia nearly shouts. Mother heard this all the way from the other end of the table and pounded a knife into the table.

"That is fine oak!" both Patricia and Effie chimed in at once. Mother glared at Effie, but then cranked her head over to Patricia and gave the most evil sinister look I have ever seen. Mother seemed to be boiling her insides out.

"Are you going to diss on my district some more and have me string you to my bow? Or will you be polite and think about things before you say them first?" Mother shouts at Patricia. There are three things you never say to Mother. One, you never tell her that she had it easy in the past. Two, you never tell her that she is the cause of everything wrong in your life, I learned that one the hard way. And finally three, you never, under any circumstances insult District 12 or, as Haymitch would say, excuse my language, your ass is grass.

"N- n- no. M- m- misses M- m- Mel- l- Mellark. No Misses Mellark." Patricia mumbles out. I am in relish, enjoying every second of this whole thing.

"Good," Mother sneers, "Because if you don't I will have to put you in your place won't I?" By this time Father puts his arm around Mother, trying to calmer her down. It seems to work and Mother, after taking several deep breaths, is finally calm and collective.

I was now sad because I was enjoying every second of my Mother yelling at Patricia. Patricia looked so vulnerable, and I loved it. Mental note to self: thank mother for putting Patricia in her place. I get up and put my dish in the sink and when I turn around Hunter is standing right in front of me. "Hey," he says, "are you alright? Patricia keeps pushing your buttons."

"I just don't think that she really likes me. Plus, I am probably the most disgusting slobish girl you have ever met, anyways." I say looking down at my feet. I feel my cheeks burning. How come whenever I talk to him there are butterflies in my stomach? He smirks at my blush and pulls me into a hug. I start blushing even more as he plays with my braid. He releases and puts me an arm's length apart from him. He does it in such a way that I have to look into his eyes, his beautiful grey Seam eyes.

"Don't let what Patricia says get to you. You, Kala Primrose Mellark, are the most beautiful, talented, funny, sweet girl I have ever met." He says.

"Well, thanks." I blush and giggle at the same time. It makes him smirk.

"Guess we should be getting ready to get to church."

"Yeah guess so."

"Annie says that boys have to wear ties, button down shirts and nice pants and shoes."

"What do girls have to wear?" I ask.

"Girls have to wear a dress with nice shoes." He says in a matter-of-fact tone. Ugh! I hate dresses. They make me feel funny inside. "You also have to do your hair nice."

"I guess I can do that." I grumble. That is when we both trudge up the stairs. I head into the girls' room to remember that Patricia was already in a dress, so it was only me, Hannia, and Trixie getting ready.

"Hey um, Kala?" Hannia asks as I help Trixie into her green sundress.

"Yeah?" I answer.

"Do you have an extra dress? I didn't think I would need one." She asks quietly. As a matter of fact, I have exactly two dresses that I brought from home, Lucky huh?

"Yeah, I have a pink one and a dark green one."

"Could I wear the green one?"

"Of course!" This is really weird because Hannia seemed really shy. I actually would like to be friends with her. She seems very nice.

After getting Trixie to sit still while putting her hair into two pigtails, I rush over to my suit case and open it up. There folded neatly under my laptop, is my satin light pink sundress, with a magenta ribbon that goes around your waist. It always would softly flow just over my knees. The one right next to it was a dark green dress that I barely ever wear. It had sleeves that softly flew just over your shoulders and a light green ribbon that went around your waist. The dress, when Hannia put it on, went over her knees like they would on mine, her pale skin make the dress look even more elegant on her. "It is beautiful!" Hannia gushes as she spins around and around.

We decide to work on hair until nine thirty, so we have time to regroup and be driven there. In District 12 Father said that we can walk anywhere we choose, and if it is too far to walk there then it is too far to go to in the first place, but District 12 is so small compared to the other districts that I think in any other district, you need a car. Mother and Father own a car, but neither of them know how to use it and neither of them feel like learning how. So it just sits in the garage all the time. We tried to get rid of it, but no one else in our district can drive either. Anyways, back to hair. I take Hannia's dark hair and twist it up into a high twisted bun. It took a few minutes, but I finally got it and it looked wonderful. I then sit in the chair in front of the mirror and have her style my hair. I told her that I liked braids and she said that she knew how to do a special kind of braid. She took the sides of my hair and did a double what she calls French Braid by my hairline and then when she got them to the center she did a single braid down the rest of my hair. It was perfect. I hugged her and thanked her so much and we looked at the clock, nine twenty. It was ten minutes earlier than we thought we would be done. We both rush down the steps. Hunter walks up to me, he is wearing a black button down shirt, with white dress pants and a silky indigo tie. "You look ravishing." He says.

I blush, "Thanks." He smiles at me and wraps an arm around my waist as we walk out to the car. It was a really big car, Annie said it was really a "bus" that she bought because she always wanted to have lots of kids, but she never could because her husband died. She then went into a deep anxiety attack and Mother went over to her and hugged her and started whispering stuff to her. After about five minutes she was back to normal and we went into the bus. Hunter insisted we sit next to each other. It was a half an hour drive to get there.

He wrapped his arm around my waist, which made me feel fuzzy inside. "You excited about church?"

"I don't know what church is like. I have never been." I say, slightly embarrassed. I hope I am not blushing, but by his smirk, I know I am.

"Well at first, there usually is this fun part called Youth Group, where kids have fun and relax, but then afterwards is this boring part which is longer and we all want to die when we get there."

"That is just great!" I moan sarcastically. After that I gaze out the window and we don't speak again until we are getting off the bus. The church was huge. It had to have at least seven stories and it was elegant, with brown bricks lining up the sides and windows that took up several floors and a "t" sign at the front. Hunter said it was a cross, but I didn't really know. I don't go to church. We walked in and if I thought the outside was the most elegant think I have ever saw, I stand corrected. The inside had the walls plasted with murals; the ceiling held the most shimmering golden chandeliers; there were long wooden benches that were put into rows facing a risen platform, almost like a miniature stage; and lastly, the floors were the color of a dark mahogany, polished fine and glinted when the light bounced off of it. I was in a daze, when I felt a shiver run up my spine. I look to my right to see Hunter with his arms around my waist again. I feel my cheeks turning from my usual olive skin to a dark crimson red.

Suddenly, a chubby lady with red hair and green eyes runs up to us. She asks for all of the children's names and ages. She then notifies us that anyone thirteen and up will go to Youth Group and anyone twelve and under will go to Primary. Poor Hannia, has to deal with the younger kids. I can already see the grudge on her face. We split up and us thirteen and up walk into the room marked "Youth Group" by a silver plastered tile on the door. In the room, there are bean bag chairs sitting in a semicircle around a whiteboard. There was a scrawny man with bottle cap glasses that looked to be in his mid-twenties. We all sit into our chairs, Finn to my left and Hunter to my right. What was really weird is that the two boys give each other a glare. More of a territorial glare, so to speak. I rack my brain as to why they would be doing that, but don't seem to come up with any answer and just decide wait to see what happens. I look up to see a boy with dark greasy black hair covering pale his fore head, he is staring at me with a funny look on his face. He looks to be about sixteen or seventeen. I am brought back to my earlier situation when Hunter wraps his arm around me and gets a more intense glare from Finn. Then, Finn softly will rub his knuckle up and down my arm, which made me have goose bumps. This made Hunter intense his glare so much that his eyes squinted. Patricia looked at me then to Finn than back at me. A jealous glare grew across her face. I looked down at my knees and played with the end of my dress, while the boys, now that I found out, are fighting over me. I do my best to try to act oblivious, but my acting skills aren't very good. I just seem to hold it together long enough until Youth Group ends. We were walking down the hall to where the boring part of church would be when Finn whispers into my ear, "Want to ditch this boring part of church? I have a secret hiding spot that I have been using since I was eight."

I nod, anything that was better than this boring dump right? He takes me down a hall and stops in the middle. He checks to make sure no one else is around and then takes a tile from the wall and twists it so we can shimmy through. It is a small space that could hold up to six people piled up together. We sit in silence for two minutes until the tile opens again and in comes another boy, that boy that was looking at me from Youth Group. I think his name was Zander. "Hey." I say, trying to start a conversation. All he does is look at me with a funny smile on his face.

"Oh, Zander, Kala. Kala, Zander." Finn tries to introduce us, but Zander keeps looking at me strange. My gut tells me this to run, but I can't and there seems to be no danger. "Oh crap! I forgot something in the Youth Group room!" Finn says and he turns the tile and is out of the room.

"You're a Mellark, right?" Zander asks.

"That's right!" I smile.

He chuckles a little sinsterly, "I heard you Mellarks are feisty." He starts to come closer to me. I scoot back until I run into the steel wall. He keeps creeping up to me. He gets closer and closer. He pins my arms against the wall with one hand and pins my legs down with his knees. He is kneeling right on top of me. He starts to kiss my neck and I try to squirm and get him off of me but then I see him pull a knife out of his pocket.

"Finn! Mother! Father!" I yell at the top of my lungs.

"No use yelling," He smirks, "this room is sound proof."

"Stop! Please!" I plead. I was scared for my life. I could feel buckets pour down my cheeks. He just laughs and rips my underwear from under my dress off. He then starts to unzip his pants when I hear scraping against the tile. "Help!" I scream as loud as I could at the tile. Zander takes no attention the tile and his lower body keeps coming closer to mine. Suddenly there was kicking on it. It kept getting more dent every five seconds. I was shaking when the tile flew off and I saw Mother squeeze herself in, bow in hand.

"Get out of here, or you will be sish-ka-bobbed!" She yells at Zander. He runs out of the hole, but not before Father held him by the collar and threatens him. Peacekeepers are beside Father in a few moments and they are getting information. Then they put handcuffs on Zander and they leave the church. Mother squeezed herself out of the hole and so do I. I run into Mother's embrace and cry. She just hugs me and repeats over and over, "It's okay, your with me. We are safe now."

**Told you it was going to be intense. Anyways how did you like it? What would you like to happen next? Please tell me in a review! ;D**


	7. Chapter 7: Family & Patricia

**Hey everyone! Luck ducks! I am going to update this story as much as I can today so if you are really lucky you might get more than one chapter today! Anywho, There is a poll up on my profile, I need you to please vote on it. PLEASE VOTE ON IT! Because it means a lot and it will help me for future chapters and so forth. I am not Suzanne Collins and if you though I was, there is something wrong with your head.**

We board the bus and I take a seat next to Mother and curl up next to her. She puts and arm around me and I lay down on the seat, head on her lap. Father sits in the back of the bus with Effie's Husband and they talk. I can see Father giving a glance up here every once in a while. When everyone gets on the bus, Annie starts the hour drive back to her house. I look up to Mother's face. She looks down at me worryingly. I finally find my voice, "How did you find me?"

"Finn came running into the room I was in and said he took you to that place and when he returned he couldn't open the tile. He didn't know what was happening so I ran out into the hall way, saw a bow and shealth of arrows hanging on the wall as a decoration, and came to the tile and started kicking it." She says, "Plus, I can sense danger."

"What do you mean? How can you sense danger?" I ask her.

"That you will find out on your fourteenth birthday."

"Oh," Is all I can manage to say. Mother then starts to take out my now messed up braid. She brushes her finger through my hair. It takes her a while, because her hands are shaky, but she ends up putting my hair into two pigtail braids. I look at her, "Two braids? I am not three anymore."

Her smile has sadness to it, "I know. I just can't believe you are growing up so fast."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I think we will go home tomorrow. After what happened I just want to know you are safe."

"I want to go home too," I say truthfully. All I want to do is go home and lay in bed. I want to see the first snow of November because today is November twenty-third. I really wanted to get as far away as possible from Zander. Where he couldn't find me. We stay silent the rest of the way to Annie's house. When we get there, Mother and I don't move from our spot and soon enough Father is standing next to our seat. "Father?"

"Yes?"

"Carry me." I say. He then picks me up and carries me into the house as if I was four years old again. He then sets me down on the couch in the den and walks up to girls' room to get me some sweat pants and a t-shirt. Mother went to the phone to call a doctor who will come and see me at six. She then went upstairs. She said it was to go get something, but I know it was to tear her hair out and go crazy because of what happened. Mother didn't like to show weakness in front of me.

I stretch out on the couch and don't move. Father finally comes down with my grey sweat pants and a light pink t-shirt. He helps me into my clothes because I couldn't even find the strength to move. He wraps his arm around me and I lay my head on his shoulder. Father doesn't say anything because he knows it would only make me feel more upset. He is always comforting when I feel hurt. After about an hour Father kisses my hairline and says he has to go help make lunch, but he will be back as soon as possible. After he left Patricia came strutting in with a smirk on her face, "I knew you loved getting knocked up, but really at a church? You are more of a slut then I thought."

I stay quiet and look at the floor. Is this what everyone thinks of me now? I can feel my eyes stinging with tears.

"I'm Kala," Patricia mocks looking at an imaginary human, "Let me show you a good time for only five dollars. No how about just a quarter. You know what? I'll pay you to show you a good time." This time my tears actually come running down my cheeks. She just looks down at me a smirks. "It is the truth though. You can't erase the truth."

My tongue is lead and I can't speak. I can only sob. Tears making my whole face sticky with water. My face feels hot and itchy. I just look at the floor. I don't dare say anything. She then skips out of the room with a smile on her face, her pink hair bouncing up and down. I just sit there and try to calm myself. None of this is true and if she says anything no one can believe her. I tell this to myself over and over until it calms me down. I hope my face isn't red. In about twenty minutes Father comes with a small square fold up party table. He then leaves again but brings in four chairs and picks me up and puts me in one. The table was so small that only one chair fit on each side of it. He then brings in four bowls of homemade chicken noodle soup, four glasses of milk, one plate full of cheese buns and a bottle of Apoy's pills. Apoy has to take a pill before he can eat or drink anything dairy. Then it clicks in my mind. We are going to have lunch with just our family. The thought makes me smile and when my thoughts were confirmed by mother dragging an over excited Apoy into the room, my smile grows brighter. I didn't want to eat in the same room as Patricia. We all sat down, Father to my left, Mother to my right, and Apoy across from me. My tongue seems to lighten up and I can talk. We talk about normal family stuff and what we were going to do when we get home and so forth. Apoy doesn't like the idea of going home early, but he agrees it would be best because, as Father explained it to him, his big sister got a "booboo."

After lunch I lay on the couch. After what happened today my eyelids feel like lead. I try to stay awake more but they keep drooping until they finally shut.

**Did you enjoy this chapter? Next we have the doctor and leaving scenes. I have a big surprise for you in the next chapter though! Remember my poll and toodles! :D Also, I am looking for a beta. So if you are interested then PM me! ;)**


	8. Chapter 8: Nightmares and Daymares

**Hello everyone! I now have great ideas for the next few chapters! So... YAY! Anyways I STILL HAVE A POLL ON MY PROFILE! So you should go check it out because after the next few chapters I won't know what to do and it will help me! :D Alright I am not Suzanne Collins and I do not own Katniss, Peeta, Annie, Finnick (Senior), Finnick (Junior), Gale, Effie, Joannah, Rory, Vick, Posy, or any other charectors that I have in my story. ;)**

_I am running down random hallways, turning left and right but I cannot seem to find an escape from these stupid hallways. I look back and notice that Zander is chasing me and that is why I am running. I scream a few times but there is no one to hear my voice. Suddenly I trip over my own feet and Zander jumps on top of me. "Wake up," he yells, "Kala, Wake up!"_  
_"I am awake." I cry._  
"It is just a nightmare. Kala! Kala! Kala! Come on Sissy! Wake up!" Suddenly my eyes dart open, I am shaking and there is a cold sweat down my back. Apoy is sitting on top of me his steel grey eyes staring right into mine. I feel tears streaming down my face as I look to my left. I see a concerned Mother standing in the doorway, with her own tears. Father is behind her trying to comfort her. Apoy smiles bright now that I am awake, "Kala, you were screaming!"  
"Did I scare you?" I asked. He nods his head. I sit up and hug him close to me, "It's okay, Apoy. It was just a nightmare. I promise I am okay." He nods his head and I kiss his hair line. Suddenly, Trixie appears to the right of my parents in the doorway, waving Apoy her way. Apoy gives me a hug then bounds out the doorway. My parents whisper so I try to listen closely.  
"Peeta," Mother whispers between sobs, "This is why I said no. We can't protect them all the time. Now she i going to have nightmares just like me, and it is all my fault."  
Father opens his mouth, "Katniss-"  
"No," Mother interupts, " I can't handle it anymore. They keep asking questions about our past."  
"It's okay," Father whispers calmly, "They are just curious."  
"Peeta!" Mother whispers harshly, "She asked if I ever killed anyone." I can see out of the corner of my eye, Father putting his arms around Mother's waist. Mother then pulls away and walks down the hallway crying.  
Father sighs, "Sorry you had to hear thay dandelion." He walks over to me and sits on my right. I instantly hug him, he smiles and puts his left arm around me.  
"It's okay, Father." I look around the room, "What time is it?"  
"Seven Twenty-Eight." He says looking at his wrist.  
"I missed supper!"  
"It's alright. I'll get it." He stands up and walks into the kitchen. It is Seven, wait, the Doctor! He was supposed to see me! Agh! I shoudn't have fallen asleep!  
"Are you okay?" A voice say, it makes me jump. I turn around in my seat and see Finn. He comes around the couch and sits where Father just was, "I am really sorry. If I knew Zander was going to do that I wouldn't have left you alone with him."  
"It's okay."  
"No, It isn't. If I hadn't come back when I did-"  
"Look at me," I say, he turns his head towards me, "Nothing happened I am okay."  
"I know. It's just-"  
"Shh." I whisper and I hug him, "Thanks for getting my mother."  
"No problem." He says, and I release our hug. He then gets up and leaves. Father then comes back in with a bowl of spaghetti. I eat it up. It was really good. I then stand up for the first timeby myself since getting on the bus. My muscles were sore, so I stretched out and walked out into the empty hallway. I got to the stairs and start to walk up them slowly, my legs were stiff as heck. When I get to the top I make my way to the girls' room. Once I get to the door, I open it and find Patricia on my laptop.  
"I didn't know you had a PanemTeen Profile!" She exclaims.  
"Yeah... Why are you on my laptop? You better not have given it a virus." I walk up to her, she is sitting on my bed, the lap top on her crossed legs.  
"Oh don't be silly! I just added you to all of us." She says. I look over to the screen. There is nothing except the desktop. There aren't even any minimized windows.  
"Thank you..." I say unsure. I take my laptop and put it up in my suitcase. I look at the clock, eight forty-six. I will probably have to wake up in the morning so I should Igo to bed at nine thirty. I walk downstairs and notice Patricia is following me. I spot the rest of the teens and sit with them, they are laying down looking at the stars. I follow suit and am amazed by the beauty of each little twinkling light in the sky. I yawn, finally giving into my drowsiness. I walk into the house and walk upstairs. I head into the girls' room and change into some pink pajamas. I lay in my bed, terrified of falling back asleep. I remember the nightmares that haunted me during my nap. I crawl out of bed and grab my blankie from my suitcase. I walk out of the girls' room and into my parent's room. Father was in the bathroom brushing his teeth and Mother was finishing taking her hair down.  
"Can I sleep with you?" I ask tiredly. Mother looks over to me.  
"Sure." She says.  
"Okay." I say. Again, we are not the people for words. I crawl into bed and Mother soon follows and lays to my right. Father comes in and looks at me and raises his eyebrows.  
"You sleeping with us tonight, Dandelion?" He asks.  
"Yes." I say and snuggle my head into the pillow. Father squeezes himself between me and Mother. He wraps his arms around us, "My two favorite girls."  
I giggle, "Night Mother. Night Father." My eyes flutter shut.  
_The next thing I know I am in a dark room that I can't escape and I keep running around. Suddenly the room keeps getting smaller and smaller. I hear someone scream bloody murder and they keep screaming over and over. Suddenly there are two voices. I yell for someone to help me, but there is no use._ I break open my eyes. I start crying because even awake I am in the dark room. Father then brings me back to real reality, "Katniss, shhhh. Kala it's okay. Shhhhh. Just nightmares. Just nightmares." He is hugging us close to him. I feel bad, having to deal with not only Mother's nightmare but mine at the same time? Father then switches on the light, he notices I am awake and alright and focuses on Mother. "Katniss wake up. Shhhh. Are you okay?"  
"Prim!" Mother yells. She is thrashing around. Her eyes are tightly closed, "Stop, don't leave me. I volunteer! I volunteer! Let go! I volunteer! I fucking volunteer! Prim! Prim!"  
"Katniss, wake up." Father says calminly, shaking her.  
Mother's eyes rip open and she looks around scared, "This isn't one big nightmare. She is gone isn't she?" Mother looks at Father, forgetting that I am here.  
Father looks at her and nods, "Yes." Mother then curls up into a ball and starts to cry.  
After about an hour we finally get back to sleep and when we wake up we get ready to leave. I wave goodbye to everyone. Hunter comes up and hugs me and puts his phone number into my phone. Finn does the same. Everyone, even Patricia, puts their numbers into my phone. We then bored the train. I sit on a red leather seat and open my suitcase. I look at my light pink laptop my parents got me for Christmas last year. I might as well see what my friends have been up to for the last few days. I open my laptop get on . I am surprised that I am logged off because I never log off of this computer. Then I remember that Patricia was on my laptop. I nervously log in and look at my status that had gotten thirteen comments.

**Okay guys! Click that blue button! :)**


	9. Chapter 9: Goodbye Mother

**Hey guys! I have a new cover that I worked really hard on! If you want me to send you a full pic of it just PM me. It really is awesome, they just cut off the cute stuff. Also this chapter is really dramatizing and such. There is a lot going on so keep reading. I amnot Suzanne Collins and don't deserve the credit for The Hunger Games.**

My status is the most scary thing I have ever had done to me. I don't know I am going to school tomorrow. I now know that I hate Patricia. I don't know if I can bring myself to read it again. This is the worst punishment ever. I feel tears stinging my eyes before they topple over down my cheeks. This is when I dare read it agian:

* * *

**Kala Mellark** OMG! I just had the most awesome time with _Zander Tystor_ today. At church, we snuck into a small hole in the wall and did a little you know what. Anyone else want some of me? I don't charge a thing! ;)

* * *

It just felt like a stab to my heart. I can't read it again. I don't dare to look at the comments yet. How could I? I just close my laptop and walk into the dining cart. Mother eyes me suspicously. Oh crap! I forgot to hide my tears. Now she thinks something is wrong. "Hi everyone," I say happily and sit across from Mother at the table.  
"Whats wrong Kala?" Mother asks.  
"Oh, nothing..." I lie. I bite my lip hoping this won't go on for long.  
"Biting your lip, not making eye contact, and breathing a little faster, your lying." Mother says not even taking a glance off her food. Man, how does she know that?  
"Am not how do you know if I am lying anyways?"  
She glances up from her food and grins, "You do the same things I do when I lie."  
"Fine, I stubbed my toe!" I nearly shout.  
"Mmmmmmhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm..." She says longly. I know she isn't buying it.  
"Yes." I say and gobble up my food. I then leave the dining cart and go back to the bench I was sitting on. I take my phone out and, lo and behold, thirty-seven messages. A lot of them are from friends at home. They are all talking about my status and are making fun of me. I liked my school status before, I wasn't extremely popular, but I had a lot of people look up to me. Looks like Patricia ruined that. Only one text message, from my best friend, didn't have to do with my status. Thank you Markan! He wants to hang out with me when I come back to school. I know what yourthinking, a boy is your best friend? Yeah, we go way back to pre-school. He has always been there for me. He is like a brother to me. I open my laptop up and decide to look at the comments. Most of them are making fun of me, boy asking me to go to thier house later, and people who are appauld. I would be appauld too if I were them. But one comment stood out in paticular.

* * *

**Zander Tystor** Yeah, that was horrible. I can't believe you forced me to do that! You are disgusting! I am still getting over the emotional side effects! Ewww...

* * *

I shut my laptop and put it in my suitcase. Now, I am not only known as a "slut" but a rapist too. How did he even become my friend? Oh yeah, Patricia. I feel the tears spewing out of my eyes. I run into the sleeping cabin room thing and jump onto a bed a cry as much as I wanted. The next thing I know I am being shaken awake. "Get up sleepy head we are back in the D-Twelve."  
I giggle at my father's attempt to sound cool. "Carry me." I stretch open my arms and Father scoops me up. Mother notices and grabs my and their suitcase. It seems to be evening, we must have taken a fast train. Father carries me home while Apoy and Mother follow. When we get home Father sets me on the couch. Mother winces when she steps on a super loud creeky floorboard and that is how I know that we are finally home. "Mother?"  
"Yes?" She asks turning around.  
"Can I stay home tomorrow? I am still not over what happened Sunday."  
"Sure, tomorrow is only a half day. Plus you got three weeks of homework done and we only were gone Monday and Tuesday of one week."  
"What about me, Mommy?" Apoy pipes up.  
"No." She says flattly.  
"Please?"  
"No."  
"Why does she get to stay home?" Apoy points to me.  
"She has been through a dramtizing experience."  
"Awwww... But-"  
"No. Now both of you bed time."  
I trudge up the stairs, even though I have slept all day today I am still tired. I walk into my room and right when I put my head on the pillow I fall asleep. I am shaken awake. "Get up Kala! Mommy says that just because you get to stay home doesn't mean you get to sleep in!"  
I let out and anrgy moan and sit up. I look at the clock, Five o'six. Great... I get out of bed and shoo Apoy out of my room so I can get dressed. I dress in light pink blouse and a magenta skirt, with pink sparkly ballet flats. I go over to my mirror and brush all of the knots out of my hair before putting it into my usual braid. I then open the door and walk down the stairs. I sit at the counter. Father is gone before I wake up, as usual. I kinda don't want to go back to our usual schedule. I barely ever see Father and I always miss him. He always leaves us breakfast because, no offence to Mother, but she can't cook a thing besides soup. Although, the soup she makes, isn't half bad. Apoy then makes his way to the door and gives me a sad glance before leaving the house, leaving me and Mother home together. I know Mother has a job, but I don't know what it is. I never asked either. She leaves as soon as the sun rises and gives me a kiss to my forehead. I walk around the house aimlessly before I stand in my parents' room. I glance at the silver bow Mother keeps at the side of her bed with a sheath of arrows. She always tells me not to touch them, but she isn't home is she? I grab the bow and one arrow from her sheath and run down the stairs. I take and apple from the fridge and place it on the dining table. I take lots of steps back until I am in the ajointing sitting room. I am so far back from the apple that it looks the size of a dime. I then place the not pointy side of the arrow and draw the string back with it. I then release and watch the arrow whiz through the air and hitt the apple head on. I am about to rejoice, when I see the arrow continue to fly with the apple until it digs itself into the wall. "Crap." I say under my breath. I rush over to the place in the wall where the silver arrow sticks out, an apple suspending on it. Before I deal with the hole, I run upstairs and place the bow exactly how I found it and take the apple off the arrow and place it back in the sheath. I waste time counting the arrows, and just as I expected, twelve, my mother's favorite number. I walk downstairs slowly, not wanting to look at the hole. It was next to a picture Father painted of Mother holding me when I was born. Now how am I going to hide it? I walk around the house in distress until I get to the den and look at the picture of the dandelion and then the sticky note Mother put on it. Suddenly my brain comes up with a wonderful idea. I run to Father's art studio and grab a sheet of paper and some of his paint. I run into the diningroom and paint carefully a picture of a tree. I am really good artist, so I have to take my time to make sure it looks like something I would have made. When I am finished, I run and put his things back and grab the tape. I tape the picture directly over the hole. I smile at my work before looking at the clock. Ten fifty, Apoy should be home any minute. I wait for the ten minutes on the porch and start to worry. He should be home by now where is he? I wait for another half an hour and decide to go track him down. I walk out of Victor's Village and start to walk towards the school, looking for his shoe print that I have seen so many different times. I look over to the fence that blocks the woods from our district and on the weak part of the fence there is a tiny peice of fabric. It is a dark yellow color. Just like the color of his shirt this morning... Apoy! I am not stupid I know there are wild animals out there. I sprint back home and run into my parents' room. I grab the bow and arrows, and sprint back to the hole and crawl under. I look for any more signs of Apoy. I walk around in the dirt when I notice a disturbed pile of leaves with small shoe marks going off to the North. I follow them when I notice some animal marks on top of the shoe marks. Where ever Apoy is, there is an animal on his trail. I follow until the sun is directly above my head, and I am famished. I didn't pack any food. I notice a bush of dark colored berries and decide it would be a nice snack. I kneel down next to the berries and examine them, they look some what like blue berries with a darker shade. I gather them into a pile and right as I am about to dig in, a squirrel comes hopping along and eats a berry from my pile and instantly falls over. I then dart away from my berry pile, "I guess I will eat when I get home." I mutter under my breath. After about two hours of still tracking Apoy, I hear a scream, a little boy's scream. I rush off in the direction. I then get lost of where I am. That is when I heart the four note tune Mother taught us incase we were in danger. The mockingjays were singing it in one direction. I dart that way. I start to whistle it back to tell him help is on its way. That is when I see Apoy cornered at a tree by eight wild cats. They are like the ones we learned in biology to be government muttations. They were call Tigars. They were genetically deformed to hunt humans and hunt in numbers. I shoot my first arrow into the back of one of their heads, "Hey! I make a better meal! Eat me! Eat me! Look I am much bigger!" They all turn their heads towards me. They one with the arrow doesn't seem to even be injured with an arrow in it's head. I run up into a tree, then I forgot, they can climb. I load my bow and shoot the closest one to me in the paw so it fell off the tree, knocking three more down with it. That is when one jumps really high, and bites a peice of my skirt off. I aim at that one and shoot it in the nose and it seems to back off for a while. I don't have any idea where to shoot these things to kill them.  
"Kala! No!" Apoy yells for the first time. He throws a rock at one of the Tigars and it turns his way. Suddenly the whole pack in wondering over to him. I shoot an arrow to the back of one and they come my way.  
"Apoy get into a tree, climb until the branches can't hold you! Stay quiet." I watch him climb up into a tree as high as he could. I wasn't paying attention to myself because the next thing I know one of them is sinking it's theeth into my calf. I almost scream, but I don't. I know that if you scream the whole entire pack will appear, and they usually have over forty Tigars. I wonder if the scent of my blood will draw the whole pack anyways. They can never wait for food. Hours past until dusk. Everything gets colder and I can see Apoy shuddering four trees over. I take my skirt all the way off and throw it at him, he grabs it and pulls it over his shoulders. One gets too close for comfort and I load my bow and shoot the one in the chest and it still doesn't die. What to do? What to do? Mother, okay Mother's advice, squirrels taste better being shot in the eye. The eye! I load my bow and shoot one aim at the one that is about to try and drag me out of the tree and shoot it in the eye. It soon falls off the tree, dead. I then realise that even if I can kill them, I will not be able to kill them all alone. In my mind I am thinking my last thoughts. An interuption occurs when I hear a four note tune. I look over to Apoy, he didn't sing it. Mother! I whistle back. Then I don't hear it for a while and think it was a figment of my imagination, when I see an arrow being shot out of a bush and kill a Tigar right on. The rest six of the Tigars notice and and rush over to the bush and drag a figure out. I squint and I can see that it is in fact Mother! The pack then splits up two are on my tree, one on Mother, and three on Apoy's tree. Mother is wrestling the Tigar then the most frightening thing happens. Mother drops her bow and the Tigar jumps on her, pinning her arms and body down. It growls in her face and she growls back. That is when I see the Tigar sink it's teeth into Mother's skull. Then I shoot my last arrow at it's head because it was facing away from me and it comes climbing up my tree. Mother is knocked out, or even, I can't think that. I jump off the tree, over the Tigar's and take the eleven arrows Mother had left in her sheath and kill them off one by one, until I get to the last one, I shoot at it's eye but it dodges and then jumps on me, pinning me down by my shoulders. I am so close to Mother that I am touching her. That is when I notice something, besides the Tigar growling in my face. I make a quick move into Mother's belt taking her knife. The Tigar sinks it's teeth into my arm. I see Apoy trying to get out of the tree to save me. "No! You stay in that damn tree!" I yell. He then listens and sits quietly in the tree. I take the knife and use all of my strength to lodge it into the eye of the Tigar. It falls over dead. I stand up tired, already losing too much blood. I look at my new injury, it goes all the way to the bone. My arm looks like I painted myself red. I look at my calf and wince just at what I saw. It is already starting to get infected, yellow pus oozing around it. I motion for Apoy to come down and decide to take a look at Mother. I sit beside her lifeless body and put my ear to her chest. Still beating, but it won't be for long if we don't stop that blood flowing out of her head. I take my blouse off and rip it into streads. I take one of the peices and wrap it around Mother's head. It won't hold it for long and we have to get out of the woods in the dark, carrying Mother. I wrap another shread around my arm and then think about my leg. I remember when Mother told me a story about these leaves that suck out infection when you chew them. I look about the trees and notice some leaves that look about the same to her description and take them and chew them up. I decide to take an extra amount just incase the infection comes back. I carefully place it on my calf and pus oozes out. Euh! That is nasty. I then wrap another shread around my leg and take my attention back to Mother. How are we to get her back? She is twice my height and I don't even know about weight. I try to pick her up and notice how light she is. She may be twice my height but she has to be atleast half my weight. I place her over my good shoulder and tie her their with a shread. I then gather all the arrows from the dead Tigars and grab the two shealths placing twelve in each and put one around Apoy and hand him the bow Mother used. I take the silver bow and arrows and place them around my body. We walk forward and I make sure Apoy is in front of me the whole time. Then after an hour of tracking back to the meadow, Apoy trips and I hear him scream two times and then he yells,"To the pond! To the pond!" We then take off sprinting to the pond we saw about three miles back. I wince everytime my foot hits the ground because it brings a stinging pain up through my calf. I look back to see if I could get a good shot of what ever was following us, but then I noticed something. There were huge wasps and they were following us. "Tracker Jackers," I whisper. I remember when I was about two years old, before Apoy was even thought of, Mother came home with three Tracker Jacker strings on her arms. Father told me to let her be because the stings make you have hallucinations and he said that he would take care of it. I get taken out of my thoughts when there is a jab of pain on my upper back. I grab Apoy and sprint harder and then there is a jab in my upper abdomen. We then spot a small pond to the West and we sprint that way. We don't stop until we get their and we jump into the pond. It chills me to the bone. I have to lift Mother in a weird fashion in order to keep her head above the water. In about three hours the Tracker Jackers are all gone. We get out of the water and I lay Mother down in the grass and pull the stingers out of our bodies. Eight in total; three on Apoy, two on me, and three on Mother. I notice Apoy is actually half kncocked out on the shore so I drag him by Mother. My own vision becomes disorted as I try to figure out what to do. Maybe if the leaves pull out infection they can help with the stings. I chew up some leaves and stick them on all of our stings. Suddenly, the pain is cooling off and it feels so good. I then secure Mother and Apoy over each shoulder and try to track my way back home. I need to head South West to get to the gate and the pond faces East. I face myself away from the pond and head that way until I get to a bush we disturbed when sprinting here and then look up at the moon. I look at my watch, one in the morning. I look at the moon, rises in the East, sets in the West. It has to be setting now. "So I have to head... That way!" I say to myself. I walk in the direction. It is two hours before I come to the fence. I am in relish by the sight of it but then I have to think, how am I to get them under it with me? I remember when I was six years old and I was helping Mother put things in jars. I tried putting a seven blocks in the jar at once and Mother looked at me and shook her head. "Kala," She said, "Try putting them in one by one. Then they will all fit." I smiled at her and put the blocks in one at a time. I took both of them off of me and Apoy is far knocked out by now. I take shreads of the blouse and tie them around their bodies so the will be as straight as a ruler. I then take them and slide them carefully under the fence, one at a time. I then crawl out myself and tie them back onto my shoulders. Now that we are in the district, the fear is gone. With the fear being gone finally brings up the pain of all my injuries and I know this will be a long walk home. I trudge back holding onto the sides of houses and fences until I get to Victor's Village. I can see my house from here. It is the only house with lights on. I wonder how Father is handling this. Probably thinks he lost all of us. I begin walk to my house. The pain becomes too much once I open the front door. Father's jaw drops when he sees me. Under his eyes are purple bags and his face is red. He has been crying and he stayed up all night. He quickly came over and helped me bring Apoy and Mother upstairs to my parents' room. We set them down side by side and Father went downstairs to use the wall phone to call a doctor. I kiss Apoy on the forehead then walk around to Mother's side of the bed. I kiss her forehead then kneel on the floor and take her hand and place my forehead on her hand. "Thanks for all the advice. You saved my life." I feel tears coming down my cheeks as I take her pulse by her wrist. Her heart beat becomes slower and slower. If the doctor doesn't get here soon she will have died for my and Apoy's lives. I then stand up and look at both of them. With my left hand I take my three middle fingers, put them to my lips and them place them in the air, saying thank you.

**Oh I know, the tentsion. Sorry. Still this was a long chapter and I enjoyed writing it! Sorry for the cliff. Read and Review please! :)**


	10. Chapter 10: She is Strong

**Sorry it is taking so long. I was just in the middle of this chapter when my computer crashed down. So I have to start over and rethink and retype the ideas. MY POLL IS STILL UP! And I am not Suzanne Collins…**

I absolutely positively refuse to leave Mother's side. I am lying in the bed with her on my right. About an hour ago Apoy woke up and went to his own bed. So at least he is okay, but Mother's pulse gets slower by the hour. The doctor won't be here until morning and she keeps losing blood. No matter how many times I blot her wounds or change her bandages, the injury won't clot. Father always comes in to remind me I should be tending to my wounds too. I always add the leaves to my stings, leg and arm and change the bandages every now and then, but I cannot take my attention off of Mother.

Father then comes into the room and tells me I should probably go get some clothes on. I look down and notice I have been in my underwear the whole time. Blushing, I slide off the bed. I wince slightly when I put pressure on my calf, but I wave it off. If I look too injured, Father will take his time to help me and I can't have that. He needs to spend time with Mother since she may, how can I say this? Pass tonight. I could never take someone away from their love.

I finally get to my room and limp over to the dresser. I open the top drawer and take out a light pink night gown. I pull it over myself and grab the crutches Haymitch somehow got me for Christmas. I was sure I would never use them, but I guess I was wrong. I crutch into my parents' room and find Father holding Mother in his arms. I love how Father is so caring. He tries to make Mother comfortable, even if she is unconscious. I can't help but let out a little, "Awwww…" That makes Father blush, which is funny, because he never blushes. "Hey, Father"

"Yes?"

"I think we should dress Mother into her pajamas." I say.

"Alright," he says, getting up off the bed. He starts to take Mother's jacket off and I turn around. I am not too good with nakedness, if you know what I mean. I take my attention on to choosing her pajamas. I open the top drawer and pull out a black t-shirt and some dark green pajama bottoms. Leave it to mother to purchase the simplest pajamas. Plus dark colors. Wait, did I just hear myself? I am sounding like Patricia. Eww…

I throw them at Father and wait for him to dress her. That is when I notice three jackets laying on the bed post. "She had three jackets on?"

Father nods, "She wanted to be sure that when she found you that all of you would be warm."

A pang of guilt hits me, "Oh." I never thought of Mother to be so caring. I always thought of her as the strict parent that kept to herself. But now that I think back, there are a lot of things she has done that I took for granted. I feel like such a terrible daughter. I owe her so much. When Father finishes dressing her, I notice her hair is in knots. Her hair is always braided or down. I decide to take this time to slowly brush her hair. I make sure that each strand of her dark brown hair is untangled. Then I braid it so it is perfect. The way I know she would have it, too. I tie it in place with a stray ponytail holder on the bed stand. I then step back to the foot of the bed. I take a look at her. I wish there was a way that I could tell her to be stronger. To stay with me, because I need her. I look about the room and notice something shining on top of Mother's dresser. I walk over to the dresser and see a beautiful golden pin. I pick it up and take a closer look. It had a mockingjay that was in the middle of flight. It had an arrow in it's mouth. Perfect! Now I just have to place this beautiful pin on Mother and then she will stay strong because I it has the bird for which she loves so much. I then take it and hop onto the bed and place the pin on her t-shirt as Father watches. When I finish I look up and smile at him. "To make her stronger." I say.

"She is strong. Just like you." He whispers to me, sitting back besides Mother on the bed. I climb onto the bed and Father wraps his arms around both of us. I smile and scoot up onto Father's lap so I could be closer to Mother. We spend a lot of time just looking at Mother and let the tears fall from our cheeks. I so dearly hope she is alright. Suddenly, We hear a knock at the door. We both rush down the stairs (I did it with Father's help), through the living room and straight to the door. Father opens it with a big swing and there is the doctor.

"Hello an-" He starts.

"No time!" I yell," She is upstairs."

"Okay then." The doctor makes his way up the stairs. Father follows, carrying me with him. He knows I want to be in the same room when Mother is being treated. He sits me on the side of the bed and walks over to the closet door and stands there. I watch as the doctor does series of tests on Mother. He then sighs.

"What?" Father asks.

"The odds aren't in your favor this time, Peeta." The doctor replies. I stare at him in confusion. Odds? Huh? "She is in a deep coma. By the way her injury looks, I'd say she only has five percent of actual survival."

"Huh?" Father and I ask in unison.

"It means unless you are really really really lucky, I would pick out a funeral date." He says nonchalantly, he is probably used to giving this news.

**Duh duh duh duuuuuuuuuuuuuuh! Oh the drama. I hope you liked this chapter! ;D I wonder if she will survive. Oh I can't tell you! It would be a spoiler! :)**


	11. Chapter 11: I am Strong

**Hey to all my dedicated readers! I have a mission for all of you. I would like you to leave me a comment (it is actually a review). I also have been drawing Fan-art for this story and for The Hunger Games so if you'd like to see some PM me and we will figure it out from there! ;) Okay I STILL have the poll up and I am not Collins and I don't own anything.**

Father slams his head into the closet doorframe. He stands stiff, his teeth grit, his eyes tightly closed. I don't judge him, though. I could only imagine what it might feel like to lose the love of my life. I curl up into Mother and stare at the wall. I don't dare cry. Crying shows weakness and even though I am being torn apart on the inside, I have to show strength on the outside. I have to be as strong as Mother if I want her to live. All of those stupid human emotions will have to come later.

The doctor looks at me and walks over. I don't move an inch. He starts to take the bandage off my arm. I wince when he starts to poke my injury with random items in his bag. "Well, this will need stitches." He says. Then he moves to my calf and undoes that bandage. He pokes it a little and it hurts, but when he is done he says that this will need stitches too and he also said I should use the crutches for about three days. Then I will be alright. I nod at the other gibberish he says so he thinks that I am listening. Then he leaves to Apoy's room. Father walks out with him and I look up at Mother's face. "Please wake up." I whisper. I lean against my pillow and look up at the ceiling. The rest of the day and throughout the night I watch the doctor hook Mother up to funny machines.

The next seven days were torture. Father wouldn't make us go to school and I didn't want to. I wanted to be the first person to see Mother wake up. I would spend the day keeping Apoy occupied and hopeful that Mother would be okay and the night only being able to sleep a half an hour at a time before getting too worried and having to peek into Mother and Father's room.

On the fourth night is when I started singing to Mother on a daily bases. I sing a song that I made up myself when I was seven. Mother always loved it, even though I can't sing to save my life. Apoy got Mother's voice that even made the birds stop to listen, but I still sing for Mother's sake.

_In the spring the flowers bloom,_

_ I picked some for me and you,_

_ Pink, red, purple, blue,_

_ Flowers that I picked for you,_

_ Daisies, tulips, and rue,_

_ All these flowers in full bloom!_

_ I saw you pick some flowers too,_

_ And we gave them to each other,_

_ To say I love you._

On the eighth night, I feel an arm that has been wrapped around me after I finished the song. I look over at Mother. Her eyes are open and fixed on me. Her smile is weak but still there. "Mother!" I yell. I hug her tightly and cry tears of joy. I feel her rubbing circles on my back. "Mother," I say looking up into her comforting grey eyes, "We missed you." That's when I notice Apoy and Father walking into the room.

She looks at Father and Apoy then back to me. She pulls her hand to her left temple and winces. That's when she says in a weak voice, "I'm glad you are all alright, but how did we end back at home? How long was I asleep?" She sits herself and then she notices my arm and leg. "Are you alright?" She then looks over to Apoy. She places a finger under his chin and raises his head and looks at the sting on his neck, "Tracker Jackers," She whispers.

"We are okay, Mother," I say, "Don't worry I disinfected all of our stings and got us all home safely."

"You did what?" She asks.

"Well…" That's when I tell her everything from the moment I picked up that silver bow the first time all the way until the doctor told us that Mother might die. She was nodding the whole time.

"Sorry, Kala." Mother says looking down into her lap, "I should have been smarter and took them out from a tree. Then you wouldn't have had to deal with it."

"No, Mother. I should've been stronger and helped you take them out, but instead I stayed in that darn tree!" I yell. I can't even look at her in the face. I have failed Mother and she thinks it is all her fault. "I should have done something, anything. But Mother I just left you there to fend for yourself." I feel tears stream down my cheeks. I couldn't stand being in this room anymore. I stand up and run to my room. I wedge myself into my small closet.

After about an hour I hear my door open and quiet footsteps walking about my room. "Kala?" I heard Mother's voice say. "Where are you?" Oh geez, I just had to run into here and leave my injured mother to come find me. I come out of the closet and Mother smiles at me. She slowly walks to my bed and sits down. She pats the spot to her left. I walk over to her and sit down. I look down at my lap. I couldn't look into her eyes. I didn't deserve such comfort. I sigh and kick my feet; we are silent for a while. Then out of nowhere, Mother takes my chin and forces me to look into her eyes. "Kala, you are strong. Stronger than me."

"No. I couldn't be stronger than you. I would have died with those wounds." I say pointing at her head.

She chuckles and shakes her head, "Kala, there is a difference between physical and mental strength."

"What do you mean?" I ask

"I mean, that if the roles were reversed, I would probably have run into the woods and hung myself on a tree. That is probably what I would do if one of you died because of me. So many people died because of me." Her last sentence wasn't meant for my ears because she said it quietly.

"Oh." I squeak out.

She smiles and kisses my forehead, "You are strong, Kala. You are strong."

**Was that a heart touching chapter or what? Don't worry in the chapters to come we will get more of the drama from the PanemTeen posts! ;) Thanks! Review, it means the world to me! :D**


	12. Chapter 12: Bullying Gets To Me

**Okay! I know a lot of you wanted it! Patricia damage time! :D I am so excited. By the way, If you haven't yet, visit my poll! It will help me with what to do! Okay thanks. I am not Suzanne Collins.**

Mother let us stay home yesterday so I could rest and get ready for what I am going to face in an hour. Of course I didn't tell her about what happened with my PanemTeen profile, but I did tell her I was nervous about going back. So here I am getting dressed for the torture. I want to look my best, then maybe no one will make fun of me. I get dressed in a light yellow blouse with a light pink skirt that went down to my knees. I put on my shiny pink dress shoes and wander downstairs. Father went back to work today. I see Mother sitting on the couch. I feel a small relaxation come over my body; at least Mother will relax and not go to work today. I wander over to her and look at her. She looks up at me and smiles. I ask, "Can you braid my hair?"

"Two or one?" She asks, already positioning herself so I could sit in front of her.

"One, please."

"Okay." She says and I sit in front of her. I can feel her careful fingers braiding my hair back. When I feel she has put the elastic on the end I stand up. "Hold on, I'm not done." I sit back down and hear her unzip her game bag. Next, I feel her weave things into my braid. "Okay done." I stand and walk to the mirror in the bathroom. Not only did Mother braid it perfectly, she put flowers down it. It was gorgeous.

I was now ready. I grabbed Apoy and we walked to school. I got some glares on the way there, but I brushed them off. I just focused on making sure Apoy didn't run into the forest again. Then, the path split roads, Apoy to the right, me to the left. I give him a little wave before heading right.

Once I got to the school. I take a deep breath before entering the building. I get stared at by almost everyone. I quietly walked to my locker, I swear the whole school was dead silent. I opened it and grabbed out my Math book, calculator, pencils, and box of chalk. When I closed my locker, there they were. Killiana, the most popular girl in our school. Her gang of four always follow her everywhere. Killiana stares at me with that stupid quirky smile plastered on her face. She looks over at Janey, one of her gang members "Ew! Take that braid out of your hair! Can't you see that is the slut hair-do?"

"Yeah, sorry." Janey quickly takes her braid out of her hair. It makes me look down at my feet. So they DO believe it.

"Anyways," Killiana says taking her attention back to me, "if you want to be a slut, then we will treat you like one." Then before I could think of anything, Killiana rips the flowers out of my hair.

"Stop!" I cried but then she kept pulling on my braid as if it was a toy. Then she came around and slapped me across the face so hard that I fell onto the floor. They all laughed and hi-fived each other. Killiana then spit on me before directing her group towards their class. I gather my things and head to Math. I sit in my usual seat in the middle of the class room. Everyone's eyes were on me throughout the whole period. Then when the bell rang, I went to my locker and grabbed my English material and head that way. To get there I had to pass the boys' bathroom. When I walked by some boys tried to pull me in and I fought back and finally got released from them. I sprinted as hard as I could to get to my next class it wasn't funny. It went like this for all my classes until it was finally lunch.

I forgot to eat my breakfast this morning so I was looking forward to lunch all day. Once I piled my food high I walked out of the lunch line. Killiana walked up to me with her gang. "Wow, that's a lot of food for a fat girl such as yourself." I look down, am I really fat? I mean my own mother weighs less than I do. Then, they walk away giggling. I throw away my lunch and sit by myself at my lunch table. I see Markan walking by and I wave him over. He gives me a glare and shakes his head and sits at a different table full of other boys. Did I just lose my best friend to this stupid lie? This can't be happening. I feel a single tear slide down my cheek. The rest of the day goes the same as it did the first half.

On the walk home I clutch Apoy's wrist. I was not letting him run off again. We got home at our usual time and Apoy raced to the fridge. Usually we would both race and whoever got there first would get first picks on the snacks, but I know that I can't eat or I will be made more fun of at school. Instead, I walk upstairs and open my laptop. I look at all my wall posts. There are so many just talking about how stupid I am and how I "easy" I am. I choke up at each post I read. One of them stands out in particular:

**Hendrictson Markslade **I was with her last night and she gave me a STD! WTF? Why are you even alive? Just to give everyone a disease?

I cry. Literally, tears fall from my eyes. I jump into my bed and cry and cry. I don't stop until I hear a knocking at my door. "What the fuck do you want!" I yell.

Suddenly, little Apoy walks into my room. "I was wondering if you could help me find my HoloSphere controller. Father is too busy to help me." Father? He doesn't get home until- I look at my clock. It is six thirty right on the dot. I must have been crying so much that I didn't even notice Father come in. "Are you okay, Kala?" Apoy asks.

"I'm fucking fine! Now let's go find your damn controller." I sneer. We walk downstairs and into the den. I smother my emotions into finding the controller. It took twenty minutes, but I found it under the couch. I handed it to Apoy and give him a look. He walks away and goes and plays his video game. I sit and watch him.

"Dinner!" I hear Father yell. I walk ever so slowly to the dining table and sit down. Father brings out homemade pizza. It is my favorite. Just the smell makes me ready to dig in when I remember what Killiana said to me during lunch. I just stare down at my plate. "Anything wrong, Kala?" Father asks.

"No, I just am not hungry. May I be excused?" I ask.

Father and Mother look at each other, as if they were reading each other's minds. "You may." Father says. I stand up and walk back to my room. I walked to my room and lied down face into my pillow. I end up crying myself to sleep.

I wake up to my alarm clock. I walk out of bed and downstairs. Father is gone and Mother and Apoy are eating breakfast. I am just about to turn around and go upstairs, so I don't have to have a confrontation about breakfast when Apoy says, "Father made pancakes, Kala!"

"That's okay, I'm not hungry." With that I walk back up the stairs and into my room. I wince when my stomach growls. It hurt pretty bad. I walk to my dresser and take out some sweat pants and a sweat shirt. I don't want to look like I am going to seduce someone, do I?

Once I am dressed, Mother walks in the door with a plate of pancakes in her hand. She closes the door behind her. "Honey, are you okay?" She feels my forehead.

"Yeah, Mother. I'm fine. I am just not hungry."

"Sure…" She says, "I want you to eat all of this plate while I watch you." She puts the plate in my hands and gives me a fork. I shovel the food down into my stomach.

"See? I told you I was fine." I say.

"Alright." She says and takes the dishes and walks out of my room. I suddenly freak out. I just ate and I will become only fatter! I run into the bathroom connected to my bedroom and kneel at the toilet. I lean over it and stick my fingers down my throat and surely enough I see pancakes coming back up. I stand up and flush the toilet. This is a way better plan. To go eat with everyone and then when I am done I will puke it up. This way, no one gets suspicious. I walk over to the sink and brush my teeth. I decide to brush my hair, but leave it down. I don't want to wear the slut hair-do.

The rest of the day goes like this: Go to school and be tortured; come home and read laptop; cry until Father comes home; eat dinner; puke it up; and go to bed. Actually that is how the next three days go. On the fourth day after I eat dinner though, I go up to my bathroom and puke. When I open the door to come out, Mother is blocking my way. There is a sense of worry and fear in her eyes. She pushes me back into the bathroom and locks the door. She then proceeds to the closet and takes out what I think could end my life. The bathroom scale. She sets it on the floor and points to it. "Stand on it." She commands. I hesitate but then stand on it and look into her eyes for comfort, but it wasn't there. All I have been doing has been worrying the crap out of her. I feel bad. She looks down and gasps. "Kalaan Primrose Mellark! What have you been doing to yourself? You have lost twenty pounds in the past four days!"

I can see the pain and worry in her eyes. She looks like she is about to have a mental break down. I can't lie to her now I might as well just say it, "I'm fat, Mother. No one likes me. I am fat." She looks at me in bewilderment.

She drops to her knees and hugs me tightly to her. "Kala, you're not fat. You were even underweight before. How could you think this? Don't starve yourself. Hunger pains are the worst."

"And how would you know?" I ask her, still hugging her.

She sighs and leads me to my bed. We both sit on it and Mother looks directly into my eyes, "When I was about eleven years old my father died in a mine explosion. He was the one who fed our family. My mother went into a deep depression, so it was up to me to feed the rest of my family. The first winter from my father's death was the worst. Once during that winter we went about a week without food and we would have died if- And that is how I know about hunger pains." By the time she was done there were tears streaming down her face.

"If what?" I ask. She gives me the look that says, on your fourteenth birthday. "Okay." I sigh.

After that Mother took me downstairs and made me eat tons of food. Then she slept in my bed with me so I wouldn't go puke it up. Then in the morning, she made me eat breakfast right before I went to school, so I had no time to puke it up. When I got to the school there were the usual people staring at me when I go to my locker. I decided that I really need a break from it all and went into the bathroom. In there, Killiana and her gang were touching up their makeup. They all suddenly looked at me. "OMG! Did you see the video?"

"What video?" I ask.

"Guess you will have to see when you get home." She snickers, then leaves the room.

Right after I get home from school I rush to my laptop. There was a video and I clicked play on it. There was a girl who was dressed in a really skimpy dress. She had her hair in a braid and was wearing a huge piece of paper on her chest that said, "Kala." She wore a mask that only covered up her face. She walked around the screen and said, "Oh, I'm Kala and I get whatever I want because my parents are rich and spoil me rotten." Suddenly a boy in a ski mask comes walking along. "Hey!" The girl starts, "Would you like to come over to my house for a bit? We could have a little_ fun_." The way she said the word fun was really disturbing.

"Uh no, I heard you had an STD."

"Oh, but who cares? You want me right?"

"No!" The boy yells. The rest of the video is the boy being chased around by the girl.

I scroll down to the comments:

**Killiana Hillsberg **Omg! So true! I don't understand her purpose on earth! Does anyone?

**Janey Wilshbord **She doesn't have one. She is just a waste of space and air.

**Killiana Hillsberg **Ikr? She is so stupid. That's why she has no friends.

I close my laptop and scream so loudly it probably shook the house, luckily Apoy is at a friend's house and I am home alone. I grab some plastic wrap and red string from the kitchen and rush outside to the weak spot in the fence. I remember those berries the squirrel ate. I find a plant with the exact same berries and put them into the plastic wrap and tie it tight with the red string. I rush back out of the forest and head to Victor's Village. I rush inside and lock all of the doors and windows. Then I take Mother's plant book and turn the pages until I find a picture that looks just like the berries in my pouch. They are called nightlock. The description says deadly and extremely toxic. Perfect! I run upstairs and lock my room shut. I grab my video camera and point it at my face. I turn it on.

"Well," I say, "I am sorry that I have been a burden to you all. I am sorry that I couldn't be worth a thing. I am sorry that I can't do anything right. I know I am a waste of a good human and shouldn't be here. That is why I have these." I pick up my pouch of berries and wave them at the camera, "They are called nightlock. Soon I will eat these and everyone will be happy and can go on with their lives without such a hard burden to carry on their backs. I just wanted to say goodbye to everyone. And have a nice life." I turn off the camera and upload it onto my profile. Next I try to open the nightlock package but I tied the string too tight and I can't get it off.

**Markan's POV**

I walk home after a casual afternoon and decide to check out Kala's profile. I can't be around her, she will just bring down my popularity. I notice she has a video posted by her. I click it and watch the whole thing. "No." I whisper. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no." I rush outside and focus on getting to Victor's Village. I take out my phone and call the bakery.

"Hello?" Someone says on the other line.

"May I speak to ?" I ask urgently.

"This is he."

"Hi. This is Markan and I think Kala is trying to kill herself." I say as fast as I can.

"What?" He nearly yells.

"Yes, I'm running to your house as we speak." Then I hang up and fully sprint right up to Kala's house. I try to open the door, but it's locked. I rush out to their sliding glass door and it is locked too. That is when I see the shovel against their shed. I grab it and with all my strength break the door into glass slivers. I carefully get into the house and hear shuffling going on upstairs. I run up there and hear the source of the sound is coming from Kala's room. I try to open the door but it is locked. "Kala let me in!"

"No!" She shrieks.

"Yes!" I yell and run all the way down the hall. I run as fast as I can into her door, knocking it down. She looks like she has been crying for a while and is trying to untie the small package of berries. I lunge at her and take the back of the berries. She has a good grip on them and pulls them her way.

"Give me the berries, Kala." I say, calmly.

"No! I need them!" She yells, crying.

"Give them to me now!" I yell pulling harder.

"No! Why should you care anyways? You abandoned me!" She pulls harder too, and the package explodes, the berries going everywhere. I gather as much as I can and keep them away from Kala. But she finds one lone berry and pops it into her mouth just as her parents get to the doorway.

**Don't worry this isn't the last chapter! How did you like Markan's POV Review!**


	13. Chapter 13: My Aunt Prim

**Hey guys! I am excited to tell you that there will be a sequel after this story! Yay! So we will have some fun! :D Woooohooooo! I am not Suzanne Collins and I don't own anything.**

I hear my mother scream, "No!" Then a whole bunch of doctors gather around me before everything goes black.

I wake up in a glowing white hospital. This is weird because we don't have a hospital in District Twelve, but I know what one looks like and this one is weird because everything is white and glowing. There is an old man to the bed on my left. Suddenly a girl who looks my age with blonde pigtail braids skips into the room. She is wearing a medical coat, white dress shoes and pure white tights. She walks up to the man, "Okay, your medical procedures are over! You are now full dead and may roam around afterlife. You should live with family until you are up on your feet."

The old man smiles, "Thank you Dr. Everdeen." Everdeen? Where have I heard that name? Then man then gets off the bed and leaves the room.

The girl smiles and skips to the table. She grabs a clipboard and walks over to me. "Hello," She says in a sweet voice, "no need to alarm you, but you are in the process of dying." She then checks a bracelet on my wrist. "You are only a quarter dead right now, looks like those doctors on Earth are fighting for you!"

"How do you know that I am only a quarter dead?" I ask.

She points to my wrist, "Your bracelet only says twenty-five percent. When it says one hundred percent, then you will be fully dead and can live a happy afterlife." I look at my wrist and there on the bracelet is the number twenty-five. She takes my attention back to her, "Anyways, we have a lot to do. First we have to check you in to afterlife, then we have to show you your family who will give you a hime until you are up on your feet, then we will go on a tour, and lastly we can hang out before taking you back to the hospital room."

"That sounds good." I say. And stand up off the bed. She and I walk outside the building. She then leads me to a little building and walk up to the window with the person in it.

"What is your full name?" The person in the window asks.

"Kalayaan Primrose Mellark." I say. My doctor stares right at me and her jaw drops.

"Age of death?" The person asks.

"Thirteen years old," I say smiling. My doctor just keeps staring at me with her mouth gaping.

"Cause of death?" She asks.

I look down at my feet and blush. "Suicide," I whisper.

"Sorry hun, I can't here you. What did you say?"

"Suicide." I say in a normal tone.

"Okay, and Father's name?"

"Peeta Mellark."

"Mother's maiden name?"

"I don't know my mother's maiden name but-"

"Katniss Everdeen." My doctor says saving the day, "Her mother's name is Katniss Everdeen."

I knit my eyebrows together. How could she even know my Mother's first name, let alone her maiden name? The person at the window excuses us and tells my doctor some things and we are off to meet some of my deceased family members! I am so excited! We walk a little while until we get to this place full of houses. We walk along until we get to this house made of bricks with vines growing on the side. We walk in. "This is my house and-"

"I thought we were going to the house of my deceased family members!" I interrupt.

My doctor sighs, "I am one of your deceased family members. I'm your aunt Primrose, but you can call me Prim if you'd like."

I am in awe. This girl who is about my age is my aunt? "Prove it." I demand.

She clears her throat, "Your Mom is my sister so I know a lot about her. She likes to act brave, like she is able to face anything, even if she knows she can't. She is really overprotective and would do anything to keep you out of danger. She always wears her hair in a braid. She can go through physical pain pretty well, but if you force any type of emotional pain she will go crazy."

"Okay, but why are you my age? Shouldn't you be like forty something?"

She giggles, "You don't age in afterlife silly!"

"Oh." I say. I look down at my feet again and blush.

"Come on! I know tons of people who are excited to see you!" She starts to drag me into the room by my wrist; bringing the attention to my watch it now says thirty-six percent.

I was expecting a bunch of people but there was only one other person. There is a man that looks about my Father's age but has dark hair and grey eyes; he is sitting on the couch. "Daddy! Look!" My aunt shouts. So this must be my grandfather. Both of my grandfathers are dead so I don't know what to expect.

The man looks at me and gives me a weak smile. "Prim, honey, I know you love your work, but we can't just bring in people that don't have families! I have told you before, me, your mother, Katniss, and yourself only."

"But Daddy, I think you would want to meet your granddaughter." My aunt smiles. I look down at my feet and bite my lip. I am as nervous as heck.

"This is Katniss's daughter?" He asks. My aunt nods. He walks up to me and kneels down in front of me. I turn my gaze to his face, he had the same comforting eyes as Mother's. "You do have her nose and her hair, but your eyes are unmistakably blue." He says, examining me.

"I have my Father's eyes." I say quietly.

"Oh, well you are one beautiful girl," he says, "What is your name?"

"Kala." I nearly whisper.

He smiles then draws me into a hug, "Welcome to the family."

Once he releases, Aunt Prim drags me out of the house and down the street. We get to a house with white siding and a light green frame. Aunt Prim then drags me inside. There was a man and a woman with blonde hair, they were a little bit older looking then Father. Then there were two younger men that looked to be in their late teens to early twenties. "Hello Mellarks," Aunt Prim starts "This is your wonderful grandchild slash niece, Kala!" Then she pushes me towards them.

We are quiet for a while, but the older woman is the first to speak, "Leave it to Peeta to produce such a scrawny, worthless child." It makes me blush and chew my lip. Is this what my grandmother really thinks of me? Weak and pathetic? But I am not weak, I am as strong as Mother. I give her a glare. A glare that is usually reserved for Mother to use. But I know I can use it. It is an ice cold glare, I can feel my eyes burning through her skull. She looks shocked and bounces backwards. I smirk at this. Next, everyone comes around me and smiles and hugs me. I actually feel wanted here. BEEP!

I look down at my wrist and my bracelet is beeping. It shows a five percent. Aunt Prim looks at my wrist. "Uh oh, your going back to Earth. We have to get you to the hospital." We rush over to the hospital and Aunt Prim lays me on the bed. Then she starts hooking machines up to me. Then she says, "Tell your mom I said hi and that I love her. Oh and before you go, I love you too, my little niece." After that I am not in the hospital room anymore but on my bed in my bedroom.

"And she is alive!" A doctor yells as he stares into my eyes. I look about the room and see Mother holding my hand. Apoy and Father are in the doorway and Markan is at the foot of my bed.

I start to cry and pull on Mother's hand. She is the only person I want right now. I pull her up on the bed with me and the doctors start taking the wires off of me. Then they leave and I am stuck alone with my family and Markan. I look right into Mother's eyes and say through a weak teary voice, "Aunt Prim says hi."

**How fun was that? Wasn't it awesome that she got to see Prim? :) Alright catch you all later! ;D**


	14. Chapter 14: Secrets

**Hey guys! I know exactly how to get to the end of this story! We won't be there for a few chapters though (I am giving you at least five more chapters). Then we will be moving on to the sequel! :) I have planned to have up to FIVE books of these. (If you love them so much but I am going to write them all anyways!) I can't wait to start on the sequel though! It will be so much fun for me. Anyways, I am not Suzanne Collins and don't own anything! I also do not own the quote in this chapter! Anyways, Happy 4****th**** of July if you live in the US and Happy Reading! :D**

It has been few weeks since the incident. It is getting so close to Christmas that everyone in school is buzzing and too excited to even tease me. It has been a week full of bliss. Next Thursday will be Christmas and so next week school is off! I can't help but smile, even if it only is Monday.

When the bell rings for school to be over I rush to my locker. On the way I accidentally bump into a ninth grader. She drops her books on the floor. I kneel down to help pick them up when I notice something peculiar in one of her textbooks. The book when it hit the ground flew open to a page that had a picture of the same pin I put on Mother when she was in her coma. I close the book and study the cover. _The Hunger Games and Rebellion. _Seems interesting. That is when I notice the ninth grader is looking at me. "Sorry." I say trying not to make eye contact.

"It's okay. My names Ginger Stithers. What's yours?" She asks. She has hazel eyes and red frizzy hair. Unlike anyone really in District Twelve.

"I am Kala. Kala Mellark." I smile, "May I borrow your book?" I point to the book that I was intrigued by.

"You want to borrow my history book?" She asks. I nod. "Okay. I guess. But I need it back by Thursday afterschool."

"Okay!" I exclaim. She hands me her book and start running towards my locker. I can hear her giggle from behind me. So this is the book I will acquire next year? I can't wait to read it now! I grab my backpack and place my book neatly in it. We don't get homework the last week of school before any break so I will have a lot of time to read.

I rush out of the faculty and sprint to Apoy's School. Our High school and Middle school are combined while the elementary school is separate. We then race for home. I still make sure Apoy is in front of me like always but, I really wish he would hurry up.

Once we get home I take the book out of my bag and place my bag on the hanger. I then rush into the living room and lay on the floor. I open the book to the first chapter: _After the Dark Days. _Oh, that is what we are learning about this year. The Dark Days. You know? How the districts tried to rebel but miserably failed? Yeah. That is the Dark Days alright.

I read the first few pages, but they all seem to be reviewing the Dark Days. That is when I get to the last few sentences at the end of the chapter. _After the Dark Days, as punishment for the districts trying to rebel, the Capitol created The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games was an annual event where children ages 12 through 18's names were drawn from a glass bowl and entered into to an arena where they had to fight to the death, only one may win, they were proclaimed the victor. Twenty-four children each year where entered, one boy and one girl from each district. _

Woah! What? That is definitely the most sadistic idea I have ever heard of! I turn the page that takes me to the next chapter: _The Hunger Games. _ I read through the chapter taking everything in. What it was like. The orders of events before you even get into the arena. I take everything in. Once I get to the end of it the next chapter is on the Victors. First it has a list of them which I decided to skip because I didn't want to read seventy or so names. Then it talks a little bit about them, like how they get a house in Victor's Village after they win and- Wait! A house in Victor's Village? I live in Victor's Village and so does Haymitch. I flip back to the list and since I am too scared to look up my parents, I look up Haymitch. I do the math taking Haymitch's age and finding his age group and such. That's when I find it. His name is next to the 50. Meaning he was the victor of the Fiftieth Hunger Games. I then take a few deep breaths and think about my parents. They are both the same age. So they were twelve during the… The Seventieth Hunger Games. I look at the 70th Hunger Games, not them. I look through the list 71st, 72nd, 73rd, nope not them. Suddenly I get to the second to the last one on the list. I look right at it. I have to rub my eyes a little before I look at it again. It said: _74__th__ Hunger Games victors: Peeta Mellark & Katniss Everdeen, District 12._

Woah. I thought only one could win though? I look at where it says the 75th it only says that there was no victor. They probably all died, I am guessing. That is sad. Twenty-four children died the seventy-fifth year. It makes me sad. I feel a small pit of despair for those children who lost their lives in such a sadistic idea.

I exhale the breath that I didn't know that I was holding and decide to move onto the next chapter: _The 1__st__ Hunger Games. _For the next seventy five chapters the book's layout is like this: Takes one whole page talking about the victor, and it has a picture of them; the next few pages will hold the other twenty-three tributes, they don't get a whole page though, only a third each, but all of them have a picture; then after describing everyone they take the next few pages and have a deeply meticulous description of the game that year; then it goes through the stylists and what the outfits looked like for the chariot rides and the interviews; and lastly, it talks about anything else significant to that year. After I finished the first Hunger Games my curiosity took over and I found myself skipping over to the seventy-fourth Hunger Games. The picture was of my parents holding hands and in their other hands were berries. I couldn't get a good look at the berries though because the graphics was too small. It described my parents and their battle techniques. Father didn't have any it seemed. I looked at all the other tributes. I liked the one girl from district ten, she seemed really nice and the girl from eleven was cute, but the boy from eleven scared me to death. I then read the whole entire description of their games. The whole thing. It shocked me. If I was scared of my mother before, I am really scared now. My mother had not just one, but three kills. Three! How could you murder three people? I couldn't imagine how she could do such a thing as to murder a person! My father made it out not killing anyone, unless you count that one girl who accidentally ate the nightlock that he thought was real food.

I try to free my mind when I get to the pictures of them on the chariot rides. My mother doesn't look like she aged a day. She looks exactly the same as she does now to when she did then. My father on the other hand looked really young when this was taken compared to now. Now he has some grey hairs and his face doesn't look as young. I was sort of frightened at first when I saw them blazing about as hot as the sun it seemed, but they didn't seem in pain. They just were smiling and waving.

I flip to the interviews and smile when I see Mother ablaze swirling around. But then I remember how many people she killed and frown. I am angry with Mother. I just am and will always be. If Father could get out without killing anyone then so could she. At least, I think so. I mean I guess they were trying to kill her too. Ugh, this whole idea is just so wrong.

I don't even know what to think of my own mother anymore. I put the book in my bag and run up to my room. I curl up into a ball on my floor and try to think, but I can't think of anything right. I stand up and pace up and down my room. I couldn't keep still anymore. I bit my lip. I was so nervous about being around my own mother. I couldn't even think straight. It was just chaos! I lay on my bed and look up at the ceiling.

After a while I hear a door slam and look at my clock. Father is home. I can hear Mother sending Apoy upstairs. I hear his loud tread into his room. I suddenly become curious. I open my door ever so quietly and tiptoe into the hallway. I then softly tread down the stairs until I come to the bottom step. I can hear my parents talking in the kitchen. I tiptoe across the living room and sit against the wall right outside the kitchen door. "How do you think this could end up in her bag?" I hear Mother ask in pure sadness. Oh, so now they are rifling through my stuff huh?

"I don't know." I hear Father saying calmly.

"Well, what if she read the part about us?"

"I don't know, but she could never think anything different of you, Katniss." Yeah right! She killed three people! **Three ****people****! **How could I not think of her differently?

"I just wanted her to hear my side of the story first." I hear Mother say in despair. No, there is no other side to the store you killed people that is a fact! No going around it!

"Well let's just wait and see if she had read the part about us."

"How would we know that?"

"She would act differently, now wouldn't she?"

"I guess…"

"Katniss, everything is going okay. I promise."

"She is going to be scared of me. I just know it. It is another thing that the Capitol took away from us. They took away my own daughter!" I then hear something break and Mother starts to hyperventilate.

"Shhhh…. Shhh…" I hear Father murmur quietly.

Then Mother starts to say, "My name is Katniss Mellark. I am forty-five years old. I live in District 12. District 12 was destroyed. District 12 was rebuilt. I live in Victor's Village. I survived two Hunger Games and a Rebellion. I am married to Peeta Mellark. I have two children. I have a son named Apoy. He is nine years old. I have a daughter named Kalayaan. She is thirteen years old. Kalayaan likes to be called Kala. Kala found a book about my past. My past was dreadful. Peeta says everything will be okay. Everything is going to be okay. Everything is already okay. Everything is finally okay."

"Shhh…" I hear my Father whisper again.

"I'm good." I hear Mother say a little shaky.

"Good." I hear Father say. Then there is a pause in conversation. It takes a while. They almost certainly are kissing. Eck!

After the few second's pause I hear Mother say, "I could live a thousand lives and still not deserve you."

"And who says that?"

"Haymitch…. Me." Then there is another pause.

I walk into the kitchen, "What is this? A kissing fest?"

Mother and Father release. Mother is sitting at the island, blushing, and is looking at her hands that are folded neatly on the island top. Father is standing next to Mother looking at me and smiling.

"Get a room!" I exclaim.

"We already have one." Mother smiles, stands up and kisses Father again.

"Ewwww… Not in front of innocent eyes please!" I yell, waving my eyes franticly in the air.

I hear them both chuckle and Father asks, "What do you guys want for supper?"

"Rabbit!" I yell. I keep my fair distance from Mother, still unsure, but I don't do anything drastic that will create suspicion.

"Okay then." Father says taking a lump of meat in a bag out of the fridge. Looks like the ones that Mother caught and skinned yesterday.

I leave the room and walk back up to my room. I get super bored and decide to talk to Apoy. I walk over to his room and he is playing with his cars.

"Mind if I play?" I request.

"Sure! You can be the red one!" He exclaims in hilarity.

"Okay."

The rest of the week I get closer to Apoy, playing with him instead of keeping to myself all the time. I actually enjoyed myself. I tried to forget about the book and the memories kept on creeping back to my mind, but playing with Apoy usually keeps them out. I was already excited about getting home on Friday, that I couldn't even believe what was waiting for me when I got to the house. I was jubilant.

**Please Review! I hope you liked it! ;D**


	15. Chapter 15: Surprise!

**Okay guys! I am going to try to get the next few chapters out as fast as possible so I can make it to the sequel! Oh, I am going to love writing these. FIVE stories all on these people. You'll love it! :D I don't own the Hunger Games! :)**

"Hannia! Hunter! Finn! Jack!" I yell and we all hug each other into a group hug. I see Hannia and Hunter look slightly gloomy, as if mourning. When we release I look at them, "What's wrong you two?"

They look at each other, and then Hannia says, "Our parents got a divorce."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." I say hugging the two tightly.

"It's okay; they got a divorce when Dad walked in on Mother necking a District Four man. Actually, it was the day after you guys left." Hunter says. We release our hug.

"Oh," is all that I can think of.

"Yeah…." They both sigh in unison.

I take my attention back to the whole group. "Why are you all here?"

"Christmas. Your parents invited us to spend Christmas with you guys." Jack says.

"Even I am here." Patricia snickers walking out of the kitchen into the living room. I could almost puke. Patricia is going to be spending one of my favorite holidays with me? I would rather have a Tigar tear me to shreds.

She smirks at me. I then say, "How would you all like to see my room?"

"Sure." Hunter says for the whole group and we walk up to my room. I open my door and inside my small pink room with oak floor was. The room I sleep in every night was lying in the eyes of my enemy. I was a little nervous. I bit my lip.

"Wouldn't think that the rebels' child would like so much pink!" Patricia laughs.

"Huh?" I ask. I know my parents were victors, but rebels? I don't understand.

"Awww…. Mommy and Daddy didn't tell you, did they?" She taunts.

"Stop it Patricia we are all here to have fun! Not to hear your exasperating vocal sounds." Finn says.

"Shut up." She says irritated.

"How about you listen to your own guidance?" Hunter smirks.

"Ugh!" She scoffs and sits on my bed.

"DOG PILE ON PATRICIA!" I yell. We all lay on top of Patricia with Finn on the bottom closest to her, then Jack, then Hunter, then Hannia, and lastly me.

"Get off! You guys are going to make me perspire!" Patricia yells, trying to wiggle out from under us. We laugh at her discomposure. She keeps squirming and gagging. It is the comical sight ever. After a while we get off of her and walk downstairs to see how Apoy is doing. Apoy brought Trixie here from her house. Yeah, Trixie does live in District Twelve. I just haven't seen her in a while. She is so small, about three inches smaller than Apoy.

Then us teens walk into the den. We sit around and decide to play a game called "Who Did It?" It is a game where we start out with one person and they ask a question like: Who ate a worm before? Then if you have ever ate a worm before you would raise your hand and have to explain. If more than one person raised their hand you both would have to explain. Then you would go to the person on the right, they would ask you a question. We started with Finn, "Who has ever been in a place that smelled worse than a skunk?"

I raised my hand and no one else did, "Haymitch's house stinks. It is the worst thing ever." Everyone laughed, including Patricia.

To the right of Finn was Jack, "Who has been in a near death experience?"

Patricia and I raise our hands. Patricia goes first in her explanation, "One time, I went to school in green heels, when they were out of fashion. I swear I almost died!" Everyone nods confused and I just roll my eyes.

"Well," I start, "I saved my mother and brother from a pack of Tigars, and a hive of Tracker Jackers. I also got us home safely and we wouldn't be living right now if it wasn't for me." Everyone looks at me in shock.

Although, Patricia just rolls her eyes, "Fabricator!"

"I'm telling the truth!" I exclaim.

"You are not! I bet it was your mom who saved your little hiny!" She yelled.

"I am not fibbing. You could tell if I was lying." I say.

"And that is how I know that you are lying right now. I can't believe you would lie to all of our faces. You are just a little attention whore, aren't you?" She sneers.

"Fine whatever! I lied! There you go!" I lie. I am already biting my lip.

"I knew it!" She says in jubilance.

"Great, now let's move on." I mutter.

Next, was Hannia, "Who has ever been kissed?"

Finn, Jack and Patricia raised their hands. Finn said, "Only once, in third grade behind the garbage cans."

Jack said, "There was this one girl, she was really nice. She kissed me in the forest. It was nice, but then her parents forbid her to ever see me again."

All of us said, "Awwwww….."

"Yeah, yeah," Patricia starts, "But mine is the best. So I was walking around the mall when this boy came up to me. He had his hair dyed green. I mean it matched his lime green contacts. He was dreamy. Anywho, we were walking along together and talking then on the way to my house he kissed me. I was ecstatic!"

Excluding Patricia, we all give each other confused and awkward glances.

"Ugh. Your turn Patricia…" I moan.

"Who has ever tried to kill a person before?" She asks.

I look around and raise my hand silently. I blush and look down at my Indian crossed legs.

"Kala! Ooooh shocker…" Patricia says sarcastically.

"I tried to kill myself." I whisper.

"What? I can't hear you." Patricia scoffs.

"I tried to kill myself" I mutter.

"We still can't hear you." Patricia ejaculates.

"I tried to fucking kill myself!" I scream. Everyone looks at me. I can feel the tears coming down my cheeks. Patricia starts to laugh. I stand up and walk over to her. "You don't know who the fuck you're messing with, Bitch."

"Oh, she can curse. I'm so scared!" She mocks.

"Shut that fucking mouth before I do it for you." I sneer.

"Ha! You can try-" That is when I kick her right in the mouth with my black tennis shoes. Her hands clasp over her mouth. Everyone else in the circle cheers and runs up to hug me. Finally we decide to sit around and play on the HoloSphere. We play a game where you have to jump and duck over many obstacles. It is really fun. Patricia didn't want to play with us and decides to go walk around the town to see if there are any "cute" boys in District Twelve.

After a while Mother comes home and walks into the den. She fixes the picture of the dandelion so it is straight and not crooked. "You guys enjoying yourselves?" She asks.

"Yes, Mother." I say.

"Okay, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." And then she rushes off, her silent footsteps follow her.

Then after a bit I hear the front door being slammed. It couldn't be Mother, she is always so noiseless. I look at the clock, it is only four. Father gets home at six. That's when I see Patricia walk into the den hand in hand with no other boy than Markan Hitshot. "I found a cute one!" Patricia squeals.

I look Markan straight in the eyes. We are pretty much reading each other's minds at the moment. 'Did she kidnap you?' My eyes ask.

His eyes then say, 'She is my new girlfriend.'

'Sucks to be you.'

'What?'

That's when I stop this whole mind reading gobbledygook and look right at the evil witch clutching my best friend's hand. "Patricia, what are you doing with my best friend?"

"I asked him out and he said yes."

I give Markan a glare, "Markan, may I speak to you?" I start walking out of the room with him and I notice Patricia following right on our heels. I look at her, "Alone."

"Well!" She scoffs. Then she turns on her heels and goes back into the den.

I walk with Markan until we get up to my room. I close the door. "What in the name of bloody hell do you think you are doing with that witch?" I nearly scream.

"I think I am starting a relationship."

"With that thing?" I yell.

"I can't wait around for you forever, Kala!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Never mind, I just want a good relationship."

"You could never have one with that bitch."

"She appears pretty nice!"

"Well, she isn't!"

"How would you know?" He yells.

"Because," I manage to squeak out, "She was the reason I- i- I tried- I tried to-"

"Oh, Kala…" He says embracing me. I can feel the tears streaming live two rivers down my redden cheeks.

"I just don't want you to get hurt by her, like I did," I sob, "I love you Markan," His face lights up like a Christmas tree, "you're like a brother to me." His face falls slightly, but he is still smiling.

"I love you too, Kala, but differently."

"What do you mean?" I ask in wonderment. I look up into his soft calming grey eyes. His dark auburn hair falls right over his eye brows.

All of a sudden, without warning, his soft pink lips crash into mine.


	16. Chapter 16: Let the Games Begin!

**Hey guys! I am so excited as we get to the end of this story and the start of the next! Anyways, enjoy! I am not Suzanne Collins!**

I push away and look at him. I don't like him this way. He is my best friend. He knows so much about me. I never have gotten so close to anyone, as to I am used to shutting most people out. Then he does such a thing as kiss me. It hurts me and I don't know why. It just brings back bad feelings. He must be reading my mind because he asks, "Are you okay, Kala?"

"I'm fine," I lie, "Can we just go back downstairs with everyone else?"

"Sure," he blushes. We then make our way back to the den awkwardly.

I was shocked by what I saw. Apoy had one of my bras in his hand. He was waving it above his head when I came in. I could hear Markan snickering behind me. I elbow him in the stomach. "Apoy, what do you think you're going to do with that!" I yell.

"Payback!" He exclaimed.

"For what?"

"For playing my HoloSphere without my permission."

"It isn't just yours!"

"I got it for Christmas last year!" He then ran around me and out of the den. I chased him. He ran through the living room, which was where the other teens were. They all laughed at me, my face was probably as red as a tomato. Finally, he gets to the downstairs bathroom and I corner him by the shower. I take my bra back and give him a glare. When we walk out, all the teens have gathered and are laughing at me. I give Apoy an angry look but then I look into his soft grey eyes and I cave. I take pity at him and start to laugh at the whole situation.

Everyone is in a frenzy of laughter until Mother comes into the room and announces, "Time to make lists to Santa!"

Finn starts, "But Santa isn't r-" Mother glares at him then to Trixie and Apoy then back to Finn. "Santa isn't regulating messages to the extent this year."

Mother smiles and leads us to the dining table. There are eight pieces of paper on the table with a name written on top of each one. There are a bucket of colorful crayons in the middle of the table. I sit down in the seat which has the paper of my name on it written in a black crayon. Hannia sits on my right and Apoy sits on my left. The adults must not know what to get us, because Mother does this only when she doesn't know what to get me and Apoy.

I sit there and think. There is nothing that I need. There is really nothing that I want either. Well there is one thing… I take a bright red crayon and write in all caps, _'__**TO KNOW ABOUT MOTHER AND FATHER'S PAST!**__'_

After I write that I sit back in my chair and cross my arms. I look around and see that I was the first one done. Everyone else was writing very long lists or thinking really hard. I sneak a peak over to Apoy's list. He seems to want every toy on the market. I look at Hannia's, she just wants a new pillow, a new hair brush, and a few other things that I couldn't read because her hand was covering it while she was writing.

After a while everyone is done and Mother starts to pick everyone's up and quickly glance at them. She picks mine up last. She looks at it then seems to go into a trance. Then she takes a deep breath and looks at me. I only nod. She then sighs and walks into living room to go to Father's office to hide the letters. She then will 'mail them to Santa,' a.k.a.: read them and go purchase presents. We then all decide that we should go outside.

The yard is covered in a white blanket of snow. It is as cold as ice. When you step into it, it goes up to your mid shin and the snow glints and sparkles from underneath your feet. We decide to have a snow ball fight and we split up into teams. On my team were Finn, Hannia, Apoy, and me. The other team contained Hunter, Patricia, Trixie, Markan, and Jack.

"Unfair!" Apoy whines, "They have more people."

"Yeah, but you have Kala!" Markan argues, "Everyone knows that she always wins at dodgeball, and snowball fights. Her aim is the best!"

"Fine!" Apoy sighs.

"Okay guys," Patricia says, "Gather around so we can decide the rules!"

"Let's just go by the H.G. rules instead of having teams." Hunter says.

"H.G. rules?" I ask.

"You know, Hunger Games rules!" Hannia exclaims softly.

"Oh," I say.

"Okay, I'll explain for the newbie over here." Patricia says, "We gather around in a circle around a pile of snowballs. I, who usually doesn't like to get dirty, am the game maker. I will count backwards from ten then you rush into the pile and take as many snowballs as you would like, or you can turn around and run away. Once you are hit by a snowball, your out and have to lie on the ground until the game is over."

"Sounds simple," I say, a little nervous that we are playing anything that has to do with the Hunger Games.

We then get to creating snow balls. More closely you get to the center of the circle, the bigger the snowballs are. We then, draw circles in the snow around the pile of snowballs. These will be our starting positions. Just as we got everything set up we go and stand in our starting spots. To my right is Hunter and to my left is Apoy. Then Mother steps out on to the porch just as Patricia announces, "Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. Let the 3,876th Hunger Games begin!"

Just as I start sprinting towards the pile, I hear Mother gasp. It distracts me and I end up doing a half turn and only manage to get away from the snow fight in the middle. Me and Hannia both end up running towards a tree. "Allies?" I ask.

"Definitely!" She says in return. We spend the next five minutes gathering snowballs and hiding them behind the tree. Next, we hear Patricia make three claps. I must've looked confused because Hannia says, "It means three people are out and the snow fight in the middle is over."

"Oh," I say, "I'll go see who's out. You stay here." She nods and I walk out into the open. I can see others standing behind trees as I make my way to the center. Every single snowball is gone. I see the three that 'died', Markan, Finn, and Jack are laying in the snow. That is when I see a snowball fly past my face, it wasn't even close. I look to my right and see Apoy. He then notices Hannia. They both pick up sticks and have a 'sword battle.' "Hannia!" I cry out. But I see that Apoy does a fake to the right and then 'stabs' her in the chest. She falls and Patricia claps her hands. Apoy then runs up to me smiling and I scoop up some snow from the ground, turn it into a ball and throw it straight into his face. He falls and Patricia claps her hands. I can see Apoy pouting on the ground as Trixie runs up to him. I hit her in the back of the head and she falls to the ground and Patricia claps her hands. It now is just me and Hunter.

At that moment, Gale walks out of the house. I have seen the other adults today every now and then, but earlier today I was working on more important stuff.

Hunter laughs, "A gir! This will be so easy!"

"I don't know son," Gale starts, "if she has only half of her mom's aim, she'll hit you down to the ground in a second."

I aim at him and throw the snowball as hard as I can and it hits him in the chest. He falls to the ground, not on his own, but because the snowball knocked him down. Patricia clapped her hands and I was the winner. "I'm the winner!" I exclaim.

Suddenly, everyone stands up and looks at each other. They then make snow balls and walk towards me. "Revenge!" Apoy announces.

I sprint to the closest tree and climb as high as I could without the branches being to thin to hold me. I smirk at them. "I'll get her!" Finn announces as he tries to climb the tree, but he is too heavy and one of the branches break and he falls to the ground.

"I can try to get her!" Markan says. He starts to climb the tree but I shake some snow from the branch above me and it gets in his face and he falls.

"You try Hannia, you're the lightest of us all," Jack says.

"No, no," Hannia says, "I am terrified of heights."

Jack sighs and Hunter gets a look in his eye. "You know, Kala, your not the only one who got aim from one of your parents," He says, then he winds his arm back and throws it up to the tree and it hits me and I start to fall from twenty feet in the air.

I land in a pile of snow and let out a yelp of pain. Mother is at my side in a second. "What hurts, Kala?"

"My arm! I landed on it!" I scream in misery I then examine which arm hurts. I almost die when I notice which one it was, "The arm I use to string my bow!"

**Hey! Hoped you liked it! The suspense!**


	17. Chapter 17: Lots of Events

**Hey everyone! I am going to write write write! Because after this chapter there are only two more chapters until I get to the sequel. I am not Suzanne Collins! :D**

About and hour ago Mother laid me on the couch and Father should be home any second now. Everyone is still gathered around me. My arm hurts like crap. I just wish that I let them pelt me with snowballs. Then, I wouldn't be in this mess.

Mother asks, "Do you want anything, Kala?"

"No." I say in return. Right then Father slams the door shut. His happy go-luck face quickly turns into worry as he sees me. He rushes over to my side, and asks, "What happened?"

"She fell out of a tree and landed on her right arm." Mother says, "What time is my mom supposed to be here?"

Father looks at his watch, "At seven, so in about an hour."

"Okay, Will you be okay until then, Kala?" Mother looks at me.

"Yeah. I will be okay." I say. The pain in my arm is killing me, but I don't want my parents getting worried. They worry so easily.

Soon, everyone leaves the room except for Markan. He sits on the ground beside me. "You know, Kala, I will always love you. No matter what."

I nod, "Yeah, you just kinda scared me earlier today. I didn't know."

"But now what do you think?" He asks.

"I liked it." I say, I actually believed myself. I actually loved that he kissed me. I was just so filled up with fear and anger at the time that I didn't notice it.

"Okay." He says as he leans over and kisses me again. This time I don't push away until I need air. He smiles at me and pulls the hair out of my face. "Kala Primrose Mellark, will you be my girlfriend?"

I smile, "Sure."

We sit there for an hour in a peacful silence. Suddenly, my parents leave to get my grandmother from the train station. In about a half an hour Grandmother bursts through the door and runs up to me. She looks at my arm. I just have to ask, "Will I be able to shoot again?"

"Oh, darling, you will definitely be able to do that. Tomorrow in fact! You just sprained it a little." She says.

I sigh, "Thank you!"

"Oh, honey, it's nothing! You will just have to stay and relax a little."

With that, Grandmother is taken to her guest room. Father went to go start dinner, Markan left to be with the other teens, and Mother went off to the-place-where-Mother-runs-off-to-when-no-one-can-find-her. I just stare at the ceiling, bored. In about an hour Father brings me in a plate of potatoes and gravy. I sit up and eat it in a heart beat. Father chuckles.

"What?" I asked annoyed.

"You eat like you will never see a bite of food again." He says.

"You never know." I say.

"Your right actually."

"I am?"

"Yes. Sometimes you never know where your next bite of food is coming from. Sometimes you have to fight for it."

"Did you have to do that?"

"Yep, but not as much as your mother."

"Oh." Is all I can say before lying back down. Father kisses my left temple and walks off to the dining table, where everyone else is. I become amused as I watch a little fly dance across the room. It flies from the door to the ceiling, to the floor. I have always wanted to fly. I know, it seems childish, but that is what I dream about. I could be completely free of all my worries and just fly away. But who said running away from your problems solves anything.

Speaking of problems, Patricia skips into the room with a happy smile on her face. I get annoyed, "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to say I am sorry."

"If you think you can step all over me again then you got another thing com- Wait, what did you say?"

"I said I am sorry. Truly sorry. I feel bad for treating you like trash. I just wanted someone else to be the odd one."

"What do you mean?" I ask in confusion.

"Before you came, I was the one the rest of the group always picked on. I was the odd one out from the beginning. I just wanted to seem normal for a change."

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

"No, don't be. It was me who acted so mean and cruel."

"Well, I forgive you. Clean slate."

She smiles, "Thank you!" She then skips to the den.

**Short chapter, but this was just a filler so I could get to the next two chapters then onto the sequel! :) You guys will love the sequel! :)**


	18. Chapter 18: A Blissful Day

**Hey guys! Next chapter is the last chapter! You better read the Author's Note next chapter because it will tell you what the name of the sequel will be and there will be shout-outs to my reviewers and people who helped make this story! I really can't wait until the second story! It is really going to probably be my favorite out of the five of these that I have planned out. I also, next chapter will give you my idea for creating the whole story here and such. I do not own the Hunger Games that can only be said truthfully by Suzanne Collins.**

I nearly jump out of bed. It's Christmas Eve! I run to my dresser and pick out a green shirt and throw a red sweat-shirt over it with blue jeans. I then go to the bathroom and brush my hair out. I then carefully, put it into its usual braid.

The next thing you know, I'm bounding down the mahogany stairs and smell the Christmas Eve breakfast Father has made. He always makes the best meals on Christmas Eve. I rush through the living room and run to the dining room. We rarely use the dining room since we have a dining table in the kitchen, but we always use it on holidays. I notice I am the last one to wake and sit in between Apoy and Mother. It looks like everyone was waiting for me, because right when I sat down, everyone started to dig in. There were waffles, eggs, cheese buns, sausages, pancakes, muffins, every kind of fruit that I knew (with the exception of blueberries), and yogurt. I piled my plate full and dug in. We all finished our meal in ten minutes. Us teens helped the adults pick up the empty dishes and take them to the sink. We then helped dry and put away. It was eight in the morning by the time we were done.

We then went to the den and played _Sorry! _for a while. You wouldn't know how funny it was to teach them how to play at first! I was the first one to win! So while the others played for second place, I leaned back into a chair and just stared at the picture of the dandelion. I loved how all of the different shades of yellow came together. It was always a calming picture. It was my favorite of all of Father's paintings. It just seemed so realistic and peaceful. Like nothing could ever make it wilt. It was just determined on living forever. I could almost just touch it's soft petals.

I am taken from my trance when I hear Hannia yell, "And I take second!"

"I don't want to play anymore." Hunter pouts.

"It is only because you're losing!" Finn points out.

"Let's go take Apoy to Trixie's house. I don't want him trudging around in the snow all by himself." I say. Everyone else nods and we find Apoy and start walking him towards Trixie's house. The snow is falling down like crazy. We finally get there and on the way back we spot Markan. "Hey Markan," I yell, "why don't you come join us we are heading back to my house!"

"Okay!" He yells back and he runs up to our group. We then talk about random topics until we arrive at my front door. I turn the nob and we are in the house where all of the parents are sitting and talking. We don't disturb them and decide to go watch the television. When we turn it on, there are Christmas Specials and such. We watch until Father calls us in for lunch.

That was another great meal! There was soup, sandwiches, a small wild turkey, potatoes, gravy and much, much more. Again, we helped the adults clean up and decided that we should make some decorations. I asked Father if we could use some of his art supplies and he smiled and went and got them, no questions asked. We take them to the dining table in the kitchen and start to make many different decorations. I make some Christmas paintings, but the others made ornaments, streamers, drawings and a whole bunch of other stuff. Then we took some tape and we started to hang them all up. I was about to hand a picture in the Kitchen when I realized the picture of a tree I drew about a month ago. How foolish was I to think such bad things about myself and then to try to hide the, when I knew I couldn't.

I sigh, "Father, Mother, come here please!" I call as I hang a painting to the left of the hole in the wall. Mother and Father come into the room.

"What, Kala?" Father says.

"You see this tree picture I made?" I ask pointing at the tree picture.

"Yes, I love it." Father says. Mother knows something is up because she looks a little suspicious.

"Well, I kind of used it to cover up something…" I mumble.

"What do you m-" Father starts as I take the picture off the wall carefully to reveal the hole that I once hoped that I would never see again.

"What happened?" Father asked. Mother already knew. She knows the shape of the whole. She looks at me knowingly.

"I kind of borrowed Mother's bow and shot an arrow at the wall…" Now that I think back I realize how stupid I was.

"It's okay," Father says, "I can fix it after Christmas." And with that he walks back to the room. Mother just stays looking at me. It isn't an angry look. It isn't happy either. It is more of a blank expression.

I am about to walk away, but then Mother pulls me into a hug. "I love you, Kala." Mother says as she kisses my right temple.

"I love you too, Mother." I say. She releases and I start walking back to the living room. No one is in here anymore. I sit on the couch and look at the Christmas tree. I hope Mother and Father get me the present I want. It is the only thing I want. I sigh and lie back on the couch and look up at the ceiling. I realize what I have been through in the past month. It certainly has made me stronger, physically and mentally. I really did hate it, but it all turned out alright. I have five wonderful new friends and a new boyfriend. I guess everything turned out how it should be, and I would never ask it to be different.

The next thing I know all of us kids are hanging out and having a good time, when Father calls us in for dinner. We eat the most beautiful tasting wild Turkey. We then thank Father and Markan goes home. The rest of us help with the dishes. We then go to our bedrooms.

In my room I lie down on my bed and pull the blanket over me. I snuggle into the sheets and fall asleep with the last thought of tomorrow is Christmas.

**So yay! Last chapter is coming soon! I hoped you guys loved the story! Next chapter will be the best! I PROMISE! :) Review and have a nice day! ;D**


	19. Chapter 19: My Only Heroes

**HEY! Everyone excited for the LAST CHAPTER? I know right? Anyways, I promised to give shout outs to my reviewers! So here it goes!**

**Mrslukecastellan- Thank you for your wonderful ideas and inspirations. I love how you are so into my stories! Thanks! I really appreciate it! :D**

**MockingJay888- I am glad that you were so enthused by my story and hope that you read the other ones that I am planning! They will be EPIC! XD**

**Music Loving Bookworm- I am glad that you stuck with my story all the way until the end. Even though some of your reviews were short and simple, I always loved reading them. Thank you very much. ;)**

**Cloveycat- Thanks for being my first reviewer ever and sticking through my story. I loved listening to your ideas even though I didn't do some of them…. Sorry. But you were a great inspiration! :P**

**To all of my amzing guests- Thanks for reading my story and bringing things to my attention! I love you all and hope that you will read the sequel! Thank you! :)**

**Also I have decided on the name for my sequel… *Drum Roll***

**Staying Strong**

**I hope you guys will like it! I know that Kala has been through so much with everything in her life and it is just hard on her. And now we will always love Kala in the second story! I'll hopefully get the first chapter of this story up today/tonight. Anyways, I am not Suzanne Collins and I don't own the Hunger Games. Enjoy!**

It's Christmas! I jump out of bed, still in my nightgown and rush downstairs. Everyone is already up and is sitting waiting for me. Everyone is here, including Haymitch and Markan. There are lots of presents under the tree, and by lots, I mean TONS! I mean there are presents for over twenty people. But dang, there are a lot.

We all sit around the tree. Markan sits really close to me. Mother is strict on how we handle presents. We each go around and take one turn at a time opening a gift and we see what others got. The only thing we get to open all at once is our stockings! Mother grabs everyone's stockings and hands them to us. I dump mine on the floor in front of me. I got a miniature blank sketchbook, some bobby pins, hair clips, hair ties, new toothbrush, and socks. The normal stocking consists of things we will need for a few months. I look over at Apoy who got socks, a few race car toys, and a toothbrush. Markan brought all of his presents here, so he had gotten a few interesting things that I didn't remember.

After everyone got there stockings done with it was time for presents! I would be the last to open their presents because I was all the way to the right, near the door and we were starting on the left side of the semi-circle. The first to open their presents was Trixie. She got three boxes, the one with the pink wrapping paper contained a brand-new rag doll; the next one with the white wrapping paper contained a toy purse, and the one with the blue wrapping paper had a board game called, _Princess Palace. _She was over excited about her gifts. Apoy got a new race car set, a toy train, and a box of crayons. He was ecstatic. Patricia got a new hair dryer, a new make-up kit and a spa kit. Hunter got a new coat, a whistle, a radio, and a hat. Hannia got a pillow, new pajamas, and two neckalaces, one said best and the other one said friends. She walked over and gave the one that said best on it. "Are you sure?" I asked her.

"Of course! You're the bestest friend I have ever had!"

"Thank you!" I said then she walked back to her seat by her brother. Next was Finn. He got a new fishing pole, a t-shirt, a gallon of soda, and some fizzy mints. He was over excited about the last two, and I think I know why…. Then the adults took up the middle part of the circle and they got random items that I didn't pay attention to really. Then Jack, got a new pair of sneaker, a hat, and t-shirts. Markan went next. He got a silver watch, a hat, and a pair of sneakers.

There was one last present under the tree. I walk up slowly and grab it. I know what I am begging for in my mind. I walk back and look at my parents. Father has his arm wrapped around Mother. Mother's head is leaning on Father's should as they watch me. Everyone is watching me. It is so quiet as I open the paper slowly. I see a cardboard box. I open the box ever so carefully and inside held a bunch of different objects.

There was a silver parachute with a locket and pearl in it. There was sketchbook with a bunch of different drawings made by Father. There was a book that had different facts about people. There was a dress of black feathers. There was a black shirt with a red stripe on the side, it had the number twelve on it; it had matching pants. There was a single silver arrow. There was a small coil of wire, it looked brand new though. There was a piece of burnt bread in the box. And lastly, in the center of the box, was a smaller box, like one that would have a ring in it, if you were to propose to someone. I open it carefully and in it was the pin I put on Mother when she had her coma. The golden pin with the MockingJay on it. Everyone smiles and starts to head to the dining room for breakfast. I stand up and start heading that way when I hear someone from behind me, "Kala, you don't think that was all of your present do you?"

I turn around on my heels and see Mother and Father holding hands. They motion me to a room that I am not allowed to go into. Once we walk in, I notice it is a bedroom with light green walls and a light yellow bed. It has a toy chest in the corner and there are herbs all over the desk. There is a picture on the night stand of Aunt Prim hugging Mother. "Is this Aunt Prim's old room?" I ask.

Mother nods and we sit on the bed. I am holding the box that contains the items of mystery. Mother to my right, Father to my left. Mother takes a deep breath and the story begins…

I might have thought Mother was strict and didn't care about anyone. I might have thought that Father was a push-over. But their past tells me something. They are strong and they need each other. They have been through the worst kind of torture and it eats away at them every day, but they can get through every day. Even if they only take it one day at a time. They are strong. I am strong. We are strong.

They are my only heroes, I pray for them every day, and lastly, I love them.

**So how did you like it! I know! I am going to miss it too! :') But don't worry! The sequel be great too! Have a great day1 And make sure to look out for: Staying Strong ! Thanks for reading. :)**


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